Oh what a HOT Summer!

Well, the Summer is off to a HOT HOT start! Brynnon was approved for Med-Camps of LA and will be going to Camp the last week of July. They have Camps set up for children with all kinds of problems, so that they can enjoy what otherwise they would miss! The Camp he is attending is called Shining Stars and it is specifically for children with Epilepsy. Horseback riding, canoing and all kinds of fun! I am excited for him and think he will have a Great time! Home School has slowed down for the Summer and will pick back up in late August. We school year round, just enjoy more leisure days when the children can play with other children and enjoy outside. Have a Happy, safe Summer! ~Denise 

Summer

It's Hot, Hot, Hot! We have been so busy this Summer. Eldest Daughter and I were in an auto accident in May just before Abigail's tubes were put in. Think I am about as healed as I will be for a while, but my fibromyalgia is sure in full swing... Will see a new Doctor on Tuesday... Going through the weaning process with Abigail, have the days without nursing but the nights seem to be  an impossible task at the moment! Brynnon was switched from Trileptal to Depokeen, seems to work better for the myoclonic seizures and he is a lot better in behavior too! I was told the Trileptol should not have caused behavior problems, but boy did it! He was so much more aggressive and emotional, it was hard to see him that way. His learning journey has it;s ups and downs. He is making progress still, just at a very slow pace. We have to go back and reteach so much, that it is literally two steps forward, one step back every few days... Seems he does so much better when taught one subject a day, two at most, otherwise you loose him and nothing sticks. Brett is doing good with his home school, Most days he seems proud to pass Brynn up, but every once in a while I watch him hesitate to move forward. Hopefully we will find our normal soon! I am still looking forward to the appointment at Jeffersom Neurobehavioral Group on August 3... Maybe we will find some answers there... Till next time, be blessed!! ~Denise

Update... Has it been a year???

Our 6th Blessing Abigail was born early May by emergency C-section. There was not enough fluid for her in my womb, so it was safer to bring her out early! Pregnancy was complicated by Pre-eclampsia and Gestational Diabetes. She weighed 4 pounds 11 oz. Of course this last year has been busy! Abigail will be a year old next month! She now weighs about 17 pounds! Brynnonn's journey with his medication for Epilepsy has improved in some ways and others worsened. The Epilepsy seems well controlled by the medication, however he still has myoclonic activity while sleeping. The Danny Did Foundation was wonderful, and provided us with a Seizure Monitor free! This made it possible for Brynnon to sleep in his own bed! I spent three months on the sofa bed with Brynnon and Abigail as he was having Grand Mal's at night while sleeping. Some nights he would not have one and some nights he would have 1-3. Brynnon has a page on my facebook to raise awareness of SUDEP, which without Danny Did we would have not known about. He also wants to raise money for Danny Did to help others get an EMFIT alarm that cannot afford it. His goal is $2,000 by Oct. 19th, the date of his last known Long Grand Mal that sent him the the ER by ambulance. They lost their little Danny to SUDEP at the tender age of 4. They created The Danny Did Foundation to create awareness for SUDEP which doctors do not talk about.

Expecting our Sixth child

Here we are... Expecting "surprise" our Sixth Child! Whew, at 38 this is sure harder than I expected! We have been through some drama, these past few months. Here is a summery:
Last year I had breast cancer symptoms in Jan, Hubby was laid off in Feb., we moved back to LA in March, had a clear mammogram in April, Positive Pregnancy test in late August, Stressful financial disaster looming all year... I went to the breast surgeon for a followup on the Dec. 21st. She said that since the mammogram was clear & since the symptoms had stopped, that it was fine to wait to followup until after the baby is born. I went to my OB Doc on the 25th and mentioned that I had felt a lump. Back to the breast surgeon Jan. 4th. She could feel the lump (I still think it is a clogged milk duct). She insisted, so I had to have a repeat mammogram and ultrasound. The mammogram and ultrasound do show a mass, but it is unclear as to whether it could a be residual from an infection or a cancerous growth. They decided to re-evaluate it on Feb 2nd, and decide then whether to biopsy or not. I got a call to go back to the OB office Thursday. My Quad test came back showing 1 in 10 for Down Syndrome. They did an ultrasound to check for signs of down syndrome, and said "She" has no signs of DS. The Dr. then realized that somehow the lab had my due date wrong by 6 weeks, which had offset the results. He said it will be a lot less when it comes back correctly calculated. So, if we can just get a clear mammogram/ultrasound all will be well. It has been a stressful and trying time, to say the least! We are all excited about her being a girl, as our oldest child who was our only girl will be 20, followed by the four boys 18, 14, 10 & 5 when she is born. I can see why our Abba Father would give us a baby now, I believe she will bring healing and much joy to our family. We have endured so much the past two years. The death of our first Grandchild, Kaylynn (May her memory always be for a blessing), the layoff, move and gee nothing seems to have gone right! I remember having hard times before, but this is different. I suppose it was easier when our family was smaller and certainly when we had closer family and friends. My extended family has just fallen apart over the 18 years after Momma's murder. Perhaps, it is this way in all families, but I sure do miss the love & closeness I once felt with them all.
So... Here we go, onward into 2010, with great anticipation for what our Father has in store. Much faith has gotten us this far. We know that when our Father began a good work in us many years ago, He will be faithful to complete it!

~Denise

So much improvement!

I must say that anyone who is having problems with a low IQ child in Reading and Spelling... Please get these two products! AVKO Sequencial Spelling ~ Sequential Spelling is AVKO's premiere seven-level spelling program for the teaching of the patterns of English spelling within seven normal public school years. Sequential Spelling is great for schools as well as homeschoolers. The sequences are not based on grade level curriculum. The sequences are based on building from easy words to advanced words as from all, tall, stall, install, installment, installation. AND Merrill Reading Program ~The Merrill Reading Program provides targeted instruction to help students become successful readers through carefully paced instruction and practice. My low IQ 10 year old was having terrible difficulty in Reading and was very poor in Spelling when we started using these two curriculum back in August. He is now Reading and Spelling! He is Reading on a 1st Grade level and the Spelling is above a 3rd grade level. These two programs go great together, he often Reads and Spells the same words in the same week. I am so impressed with the AVKO Products, I plan to buy more! The Merrill Readers are great, slow paced linguistic readers, taught in the same way. I really believe that the sequencing is the way to teach low IQ, Reading disabled and Learning disabled children. I am so thankful that this is making such a difference in my Son and hope that this information can help another child. ~Denise

Intellectualy Disablity and or Learning Disabled Teaching at home...

The educational goal for every child is Learning, whether this be through the public school or home school. To loose focus on the primary goal with the worries of being behind or staying on schedule is the greatest distraction from the goal.
Praise, Praise, Praise... Not enough can be said about the wonderful effects of praise. Zigler made a profound discovery in handicapped students. They have to be allowed to feel success! This process of praise will not just make the child feel good, it also helps the child to depend on cues based on self-reliance, motivate them to success and also produce the desire to do better than expected.
Time... Simply put, more time has to be allowed for a Learning Disabled child to not only perform but also test and retain information taught.
Rules... Most handicapped children perform best when they know the rules, what will and will not be tolerated.
Mills suggested an informal procedure to find the teaching method that works best for the child. Basically in this model you teach the child ten words three different ways. Using the Kinesthetic, Phonic & Auditory and Visual Methods. This is effective in finding the best method in which to teach any child. It makes sense that since Brynnon scored well in verbal comprehension that he is best taught using the Phonic & Auditory method. He is doing well using this method along with the AVKO Sequential Spelling program, which is actually used with Dyslexics. Linguistics is also working with Brynnon. From the start I found that the old 1960's Merrill Linguistic Readers worked with Brynnon. I had no idea why, until I found that the new Merrill Reading Program, also linguistic is highly recommended for Learning Disabled children. We will be starting the Dig In book next week and I am excited about the skills book!
After all the lost sleep, worry, stress, searching and begging for answers... I found the answer was in me all along. To meet Brynnon where he is, being intellectually behind, that means to meet Brynnon at his level, in hopes to bring him forward. To bring out the best in him and encourage confidence in his own ability so that he can begin to rely on himself or the clues around him to get the answers he seeks. I am his Mom, and he is a wonderful gift on loan to me by the Father. It is after all the greatest gift I could ever be given, a child in which the Father has blessed me with that will require me to think outside the norm, which is what I do best!

Teaching My Learning Disabled Son

Brynnon is almost 10 years old, very active and has a few "behavior issues" which we deal with on a daily basis. Brynnon received two years of Speech Therapy starting at age 5 before he could communicate effectively with non-members of the family. I worked with Brynnon independently as part of our home school program to finish up his speech, using phonics in hopes to encourage Reading. It was evident quickly that something was very wrong as he still could not read any book besides his Merrill Linguistic Readers we were working in. His handwriting suggested Dyslexia, being backwards and very disorganized. I continued struggling to find ways to teach Brynnon, who could take things apart with great passion, yet could not decode a word no matter what I tried. We went through 2 phonics programs and purchased so many "programs" that did not do anything but frustrate us both! Finally, at the beginning of this year in frustration I brought Brynnon to an Educational Psychologist who did an IQ exam. I was shocked to learn that his IQ is not normal, but rather borderline mildly retarded. For the past several months I have done so much research, only to find that there is no middle ground. He is simply not intellectually capable enough to be diagnosed with many Learning Disorders such as Dyslexia, yet he is also not intellectually low enough to qualify for help for "retarded people." I hit so many roadblocks when trying to find answers to a simple enough question... How exactly do you REACH and TEACH a borderline mildly, let's put it politically correct here, Intellectually Disabled child? So, with all the internet at my fingertips and the several books I have been reading, I will tell you the answers that no one seemed able to give me. As there is not information available for that borderline shady area, I proceeded with caution to the down side, there I found my Son and am learning the process of finally REACHING him!

Who Am I?

Known to most on the internet as PrayerOfFaith. I am Denise, wife to Brian. We have been married 20 years and have 5 children to show for the fruit of our commitment to our marriage and each other. Life for us has never been easy, but we are stronger for having to fight for everything we have.
I grew up in Belle Chasse, LA as the only Daughter of Janice Ashcraft Lillie. I met my first love at 12 and moved out at age 16. I married my first love, Brian in October 1989. I gave birth to our first child and only Daughter in April 1990. I became pregnant with my second child in July 1991 and life was grand! Until, Momma was brutally murdered on November 12, 1991. A man took a plea bargain of "manslaughter" for stabbing her 21 times and the case was closed forever. I sought the only thing that had given me peace and hope before... God. I learned that to be forgiven, I too had to forgive. I forgave the person who killed my Mom in 1993, after almost hitting the brink of insanity, my mind heart and soul full of hate and bitterness. I learned that I could either stay in that and let it overcome me, or force myself to let it go. I can only conclude that what exactly happened and who really killed her and the ultimate question "why" would never be answered. People say how could you forgive? What they cannot see is that not forgiving is choosing death. Hate and bitterness kills you at the root of your soul, from the inside out. The choice was simple really and I chose life... I took an End Time Bible Prophecy class at a Bible College. It was there that the Conspiracy Theorist in me was born, along with the Realist who Questions Everything! I saw clips on Bush Sr, declaring a New World Order, learned about Ruby Ridge along with Randy Weavers story and the ultimate WACO. My Brother, Robert Ian Lillie, would see the end of his life at the young age of 15 on top the Belle Chasse bridge on June 11, 1994. These events would forever change my view of the world. I learned to think before I speak, love with all I have and appreciate every breath I am given. I learned that there really is no such thing as justice in this world and that vengeance is the Fathers, not mine. I have not had a hard time with forgiveness ever since that long process of really understanding just what forgiveness is. Those changes that took place in my life would forever alter my view of the world around me.
We moved to Mississippi in 1995 expecting our third child, falling in love with the slow pace and peaceful country woods. Life went on and many things changed as we grew and accepted what life had given us. We would never be rich, but had learned along the way that no matter how bad things seemed, we would never starve! Our test for this lesson came in 1999. We were expecting our fourth child. We loved the church and the people, loved where we lived and were content. The Publishing Company my Hubby and I worked for went bankrupt. We were alerted to this when our payroll checks started bouncing. Hopeful for a better life and job we scrounged every penny from a new job almost 2 hours away, packed up and moved to TN, where it was said that the printing business was booming! Well, we were there for 3 months without a job... and we did not starve to death, although we surely thought we would at times! Rent was incredibly high compared to MS and in 2000 my Hubby asked for a transfer back to MS. We ended up in the same house we were renting before the move to TN. My eldest Son was diagnosed with ADD and the public school seemed to have issues with me not wanting to medicate him. I could not see the need of medication when he made excellent grades and was not a behavior problem. I argued and fought for him when his teachers ridiculed him in front of the class, pointing out that he only had to do half the work, then refused to follow the IEP that our Natural Doctor had written for him for homework and test. This labeled him a retard by his peers and made my heart break as a Mom to see him suffer so greatly at their daily teasing. I decided I did not want anyone ever to have the authority to decide what was best for my children. I decided that I wanted them to be taught the principles of the Bible and to think for themselves. I decided that it was my job to educate my children and my Husband fully agreed. We bought our first property in the Summer of 2001, nestled in the woods on two private country acres. Finally, we had found home... I began to Home School the children and began a Spiritual Journey that led me from Modern day Christianity to what most people call Hebrew Roots.
My Daughter moved out after she turned 17 and received her diploma. She became pregnant and just when I accepted the facts and decided to support her the best I could in spite of her lifestyle.... Problems came. She came back home in April sick. She was hospitalized on her 18th Birthday and returned home a week later on Dr. ordered bed rest. She was again hospitalized in late May... she gave birth to a beautiful 2.1 lb. baby girl on June 8th. Despite pleading, praying and begging our Abba Father to let her stay... Sweet little Kaylyn Marie passed away 8 full days later, May her memory always be a blessing. After a mournful Summer and Fall, just when Winter seemed to bring hope... The news came that my Husbands job would see the end... Hubby would see his first official lay off, from the big monster of a company, who offered such security... Gannett on February 2, 2009. Much time was spent in the few months before action had to be taken, to apply for every job in the US. To our surprise... Here we are back in LA. This time, South of Lafayette. Close to my Dad and his new wife and two of my Brothers.
So now you have my life's story... from here you will peek in my brain. A conspiracy theorist at heart, a Messianic believer in Cajunland USA and a Home School Mom... I must warn you... It's scary at times!