A coke and a smile? That ad spoke words of wisdom.

Many people have suggested I give Bean caffeine. "It can have the opposite effect on children with ADHD," they all said. I wasn't ever willing to take that risk, though. I was pretty sure I would never survive a day with Bean should it NOT have the opposite effect. I blew off the advice, until this weekend.

I rarely have soft drinks at the house, but we had a leftover bottle of coke from a party. The Dad and I debated back and forth the better part of Saturday morning, before finally deciding to go for it.

We imagined it would go something like this.

Instead, within minutes Bean had stopped her usual baby talk, flapping around, and throwing herself on the floor at the word "no".

Was it a coincidence? Could it have really worked? Have I been paying for medication, when I could have been buying cans of coke?

After observing her all day Saturday, we declared Saturday to be the best day EVER. On Sunday, I got a little more courageous. Coke and NO ADHD medication. I was sure Sunday would be the day the world fell apart and the sky caved in. Instead, Sunday was possibly better than Saturday.

Bean carried on conversations. She did not once overreact. The constant bickering with Monkey? Never happened. Not once did she run circles through the house or flap around uncontrollably. She looked like Bean. She sounded like Bean. But she acted like the Bean we knew four years ago.

We knew the true test would be a school morning, though. For breakfast Bean had her usual organic cereal with organic milk. Although, today it was served with a glass of coke.

It was magical. With sparkle and glitter. And possibly even rainbows. And angels singing. Bean was dressed and ready to go in less than fifteen minutes with NO argument.

Even if she was wearing an Easter dress with snow boots.

Moral of the story? Coke is my favorite. I love Coke. Coke is our friend. Coke makes life better. And shiny.

Bean's Pretty Dress

I would really appreciate it if people would quit complimenting Bean. I know, it sounds like a strange request, but it's not. See, when you compliment Bean, she really, really takes it to heart. And then she takes it, and twists it into "I am never taking this dress off, because it is obviously the source of my prettiness."

Finding My Inner Mexican.

It has been said that some Deaf children believe that when they grow up they will be able to hear. The theory behind this is they may be exposed to other Deaf children in school, but most of the adults they come in contact with can hear. Hearing, speech, and language all become linked to physical attributes.

This past weekend, The Mom and The Dad spent some kid free time. Most of it outside at a festival. As a result, The Mom went from pale and pasty

to tan.

When Monkey and Bean returned home, Monkey immediately noticed.

Just like growing up makes you hear, getting a tan unlocks your inner Mexican.