One heck of a week.

That sounds about right...

Izabel off to Cincinnati.

Seamus got a new hat!  A Denver Zoo hat and since then has had at least 2 dozen people comment on it and several ask if had been to the zoo that day. 

1 of my new friends

Seamus' new friend - one even landed on his hat!

This one on my arm is Ebony the cancer survivor

Seamus says Hi to Izabel's friend the king cobra.  "So we meet again."  She tells him every time we go there.  She used to try to convince me she could talk to him (doing an imitation of Harry Potter) and refused to talk to the other snakes so that "she would not aggravate them."

Seamus hangs out with Totem after they both had a bath (separately).

At the park in Parker after Seamus' initial evaluation consultation.

SNOW! And that is as far as I went outside that day; not because of the snow but because of the week we had.

Izabel checking out the Holmes' in West Virginia. 

 I figure everyone wants an update on what is going on with the kids.


About 2 weeks ago Seamus had a seizure.  It was a myoclonic meaning a twitching of the muscles.  So this meant we had to take him to the doctor who ordered an e.e.g.  So on we went to the Parker hospital for the e.e.g.  Seamus did great.  He was a little scared a couple of times but they needed him to take a nap which he did.  If it had been Izabel she would have not only rewired the equipment she would have rearranged the furniture.  Miss Natasha was the tech who preformed the test.  Picture everyone's Russian grandmother - if everyone had a Russian grandmother.    "Miss Natasha loves you very much.  No one wants to be in hospital but this no hurt.  Miss Natasha will give you some jew-ell-reee like prince of Egypt.  OHHHH you look just like prince of Egypt.   This very relaxing just like the acku-punc-turrrrre." Of course, Seamus would have rather had jewelry of Barbi and when she started wrapping the gauze around his head to hold the electrodes in place I am sure he thought of the mummy monster from Scooby-Doo.
Two days later Izabel and Matt flew to Cincinnati to attend Matt's Grandfather's memorial then funeral in West Virginia.  They all drove to West Virginia and back before flying back to Denver on Sunday.  Izabel had a notebook of schoolwork and was able to not miss a day of attendance and get some fencing practice in with Matt's family and air bazooka and card practice in with Grandma Ann.
After dropping Izabel and Matt off at the airport and seeing the traffic on the highway it was clear we would not make the drop off for Seamus' school, so he asked to go to the zoo.  He happens to ask to go to the zoo a lot but this time we went.  There weren't that many people there and we were going at Seamus pace so we saw almost everything.  We rode the train then the carousel.   We fed the lorikeets.  They actually were hungry and flew to us to feed them.  One sat on my arm for a long time and we made friends.  The bird's name is Ebony and he only has one leg after surviving bone cancer.  They only live about 28 years and this one has survived 4 years after his amputation.
Seamus got to spend time with cousin Conor and Uncle Muncle while I braved a blizzard at the Eisenhower Tunnel.  Seamus had a blast hanging with 'the guys'.
Then it was time to have the initial consultation on Seamus' autism evaluation.  I am still not so sure about this place and would rather go to Children's Hospital but their wait is just way too long.  The evaluator wants to do 3 different evaluations on Seamus but 1 of them is never covered by insurance, one of them is always covered (or so they say), and the third is not always covered.  Of course, Seamus was able to hold himself together and show all his talents in the office and then showed all of his symptoms at the park afterward.  She said that she sees where he has strengths and seems "normal" and sees where he has deficits they are distinct deficits.
Another reason I am not sure about this private evaluator: She asked if we can talk in front of him.  He is 3 what he does understand he is allowed to hear and we are doing this about him I am not going to hide it from him.  She did not laugh at my response to "Is he potty trained?" Which was something to the effect that I don't think it is ever going to happen.  She just stared at me.  The practice is for children but the office was all swanky decorated.  Seamus spent the time playing with a bowl of decorator balls (you know the kind made out of grape vines or covered in twine) then he licked the satin throw pillow (okay he showed a symptom or two).  All of the toys there were sacked away in organized boxes, a little creepy.
The next step is the fight with the insurance.  I will keep you posted.