It was another great birthday weekend! On Saturday we had cake and ice cream for the boys to celebrate their two bdays. We have large parties only at ages 5, 10, and 16. It just gets to be so much otherwise. On "off" bdays then, we simply do cake and ice cream and have a couple family friends over. Saturday a friend and her husband came as well as a friend who is parenting Braeden's bio brother and sister. They chose a Transformers marble cake and Take the Cake ice cream (A MUST TRY!!!) as well as butter pecan.

Not that these things don't make a difference, don't get me wrong! But it's so easy to think that prior to "walking the walk." Having children who have been so badly damaged at such a young age that they cognitively see the world as bad and in need of control, it's eye opening how insignificant a loving parent can be. But in addition, how much it can affect those already in your home. Anyway, with Braeden and his siblings, it's been eye opening in other ways.

If you've met Braeden, you know how off the wall he can be. Especially if someone comes to our house, or we are going into a new circumstance. It's a lot for him, it's overstimulating, and he literally bounces off the walls. He is the stereotypical definition of ADHD: being run as if by a motor. And he is often climbing and hanging on everything in sight...

I am not an advocate for medication, as a teacher I've seen it used on kids strictly to get their parents SSI payments when the kids didn't need the meds AT ALL, but I've also seen it desperately needed and successfully working only to have parents not give it consistently, and then cases where it truly is helping and making a difference in a child's life socially and academically. We've been blessed to have been given wonderful preschool, Sunday school, and kindergarten teachers for Braeden thus far who have worked so well with him. They've seen the child within and not just his activity levels. I've also had to pick him up from Sunday school when he's been given some teachers who haven't understood and worked as well with him. But we are closely treading near the point of needing medication. Unfortunately in many ways, hoping it helps him in many other ways.

But it's been SO interesting to me to see how closely he mimics his brother in these areas!!! They were never raised together, but share the same two birth parents and have similar prenatal histories. Amazing how closely they mimic each other in activity, in impulsiveness, and in "smarts." :) Both are very interested in names of things, how things work, etc. So interesting. Braeden learned about the sub 505 yesterday. I bet he could tell you a million things about it today, about how they had to bring it to Chicago and then built the area around it. About the huge torpedo longer than a few of him which he saw up close. and it goes on...

For his bday yesterday, we took the train to the Museum of Science and Industry. I haven't taken all three there yet and it was up and down. The boys are both ones to go off on their own so that was a little difficult, but we had a great day! This was grandma and grandpa's gift to Braeden (so much "stuff" already!), and then he was able to pick out something at the gift shop as well. We had a blast!

Even bubble gum ice cream! what a treat!

We love going to Chicago!!! So many things to do and learn about! Another wonderful birthday!!! And we slept very well last night! :)