It has been 9.5 weeks since Matt left for Texas. It feels like both an eternity and like it was yesterday. Some days are definitely better than others, but as a whole they are pretty good.
Victoria has started swim lessons. She can swim, but she needs to get stronger in the water. And she loves to swim, so this is good for her. On most days she likes school, and I haven't had any reports lately to believe otherwise. She has good friends at school, and the work that she is bringing home looks great. Her teacher is definitely a positive reinforcer, which I like. I also hope that she pushes V out of her comfort zone too.
Victoria started a social group for her ABA a couple of weeks ago. She likes it, and I honestly don't know why, other than she does like to be around other people. There are 3 boys that are in it too, and they are all at least 2 years younger than her. But they have different lesson plans for the kids each week, and I know it will be good for her. She starts her ABA at our house tomorrow. I'm super excited. I know she is going to do great and I'm excited to have a reason to keep my house clean each week.
She is very excited for Christmas. She has asked for very little. I had her fill out a Christmas wish list of 4 wishes: something she wants, needs, will read, and will wear. She wants a US Acres (Orson Farm from Garfield and Friends) book, she needs new shoes. (She doesn't, but she said if she grows out of hers, she will need new shoes. I didn't have an argument for that, since it is true.) She will read a Warrior book series book, and will wear an iCarly shirt.
Micah is great. He really misses his Daddy, and loves to talk to Daddy on the phone and tell him about his day. His newest obsession is traffic signs and lights. He knows what red, green and yellow mean. He loves speed limit signs and stop signs. He has just started to learn the meaning of red and green arrows. Super weird, but at least he's learning.
He likes motorcycle cops, because they catch bad guys. :) He cracks me up. He loves the big jets that fly from the base.
He LOVEs to play in sand. He learns wonderful things from different TV shows. On our walk tonight to look at Christmas lights, there was a blown up igloo and he knew what it was. I asked him how he knew what it was called and he told me Little Einsteins. (sp?)
He loves musical instruments, and I think he can name about 10, and can name 3 or 4 just by listening to them.
Micah asked Santa for 4 dinosaurs and a blue present. (no idea what that means.) We have a book called The Dinosaurs Night Before Christmas and it's his new favorite. It came with a CD and he will listen to the book 10-12 times a day.
We honestly have no idea when Matt will be coming home for good. Because that would give me something to look forward too. But I am feeling very blessed to have visitors lined up after the new year, so hopefully time will fly.
Christmas 2014
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Initial ABA appt 10/30/12
Took V to her initial ABA appt. I like them immediately because I went with one therapist and V went with another. I do not like to talk about Vs issues in front of her. She is fully aware of her weaknesses and is embarrassed to talking about them. Will I talk about them in front of her if need be, yes, but most of the time it's not necessary. I have asked people in the past if we can talk separately and they look at me like I'm nuts. So I very much appreciated the fact that they had some to hang out with her, and she didn't just sit in the waiting room. I like talking about V to people that understand her problems, have solutions, and I can tell they aren't judging her or me. And they aren't emotional. :-) I have very high hopes with this treatment and therapy for V. Also, they have a social group that meets at the center every Monday. Super exciting! I asked her if she wants to go, she said, "for sure!" So we are going to try it, and I think it's going to be worth the 30 minute drive once a week. So there ya go! And here we gooooo!!!!!!
Saturday, October 27, 2012
October 27, 2012
Matt has been gone for almost 3 weeks, only 23 to go. Really, who knows how long. No one that's who. One of the crazy things about the Air Force. You'd think after 65 years, they would know how long they need airman other places, even if those places are only 2 states away. Okay, rants done, thanks for listening.
Things have been going since Matt left. Same schedule and routine. But he is sorely missed. He used to bathe M every night. I think that the 30 minutes before bed is when he is missed most by Micah.... and myself. I love that Micah is so verbal and that he can tell me his wants, needs, feelings and hurts. But, I'm pretty sure that a fairy dies every time he says, "I miss daddy."
Micah is obsessed with Angry Birds and Bad Piggies. We are going to be taking a couple of days break for the iPad. He performed a wonderful fit while on Skype with Meme and Pots this morning, and I was the idiot Mom who just smiled and laughed. No more being an idiot for me. (don't quote me on that.) So I think iPad is going to be sick for awhile. Luckily, he has a hands on Angry Birds toy that we can play and a new Angry Birds Space coloring book, that is his night time book of choice.
One of my favorite things to do is watch him watch and interact with older kids. He was doing that at the park today, and I love it. It makes him brave to try new things at the play ground. (He is like his Momma, not a dare devil at all.) I feel like we are always on the go lately, but I know he gets a lot out of play dates. Poor kid can't spend all his time with me. He is finally gotten over his fear of the child care at the gym. He waves and says bye and plays for an hour while I work out. It is wonderful.
Victoria is doing amazing in school. I'm so excited to see the progress she will make by the end of the year. So on her IEP (individualized education program?) it says that she will go from a 1.8 to a 2.8 in math. (1st number is grade, second number is the month, so 1st grade 8th month) At her parent teacher conference, her teacher told me she is doing beginning 3rd grade work, which is a review of 2nd grade work. This is so exciting! She started reading a chapter book series "Warriors" a couple of months ago, and I feel like these books are quickly progressing her reading abilities. She LOVES them. Needless to say I'm very excited.
On Tuesday, we have our initial meeting for her ABA (applied behavior analysis). This is what she was doing the last 2 months in Washington that was AMAZING!! My prayer is that she has a therapist that is capable and Victoria likes.
Thats all for now, my computer is dying.
Things have been going since Matt left. Same schedule and routine. But he is sorely missed. He used to bathe M every night. I think that the 30 minutes before bed is when he is missed most by Micah.... and myself. I love that Micah is so verbal and that he can tell me his wants, needs, feelings and hurts. But, I'm pretty sure that a fairy dies every time he says, "I miss daddy."
Micah is obsessed with Angry Birds and Bad Piggies. We are going to be taking a couple of days break for the iPad. He performed a wonderful fit while on Skype with Meme and Pots this morning, and I was the idiot Mom who just smiled and laughed. No more being an idiot for me. (don't quote me on that.) So I think iPad is going to be sick for awhile. Luckily, he has a hands on Angry Birds toy that we can play and a new Angry Birds Space coloring book, that is his night time book of choice.
One of my favorite things to do is watch him watch and interact with older kids. He was doing that at the park today, and I love it. It makes him brave to try new things at the play ground. (He is like his Momma, not a dare devil at all.) I feel like we are always on the go lately, but I know he gets a lot out of play dates. Poor kid can't spend all his time with me. He is finally gotten over his fear of the child care at the gym. He waves and says bye and plays for an hour while I work out. It is wonderful.
Victoria is doing amazing in school. I'm so excited to see the progress she will make by the end of the year. So on her IEP (individualized education program?) it says that she will go from a 1.8 to a 2.8 in math. (1st number is grade, second number is the month, so 1st grade 8th month) At her parent teacher conference, her teacher told me she is doing beginning 3rd grade work, which is a review of 2nd grade work. This is so exciting! She started reading a chapter book series "Warriors" a couple of months ago, and I feel like these books are quickly progressing her reading abilities. She LOVES them. Needless to say I'm very excited.
On Tuesday, we have our initial meeting for her ABA (applied behavior analysis). This is what she was doing the last 2 months in Washington that was AMAZING!! My prayer is that she has a therapist that is capable and Victoria likes.
Thats all for now, my computer is dying.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Is it Monday yet....?
Confession: I have always judged parents who do not like being around their children. So let me begin this post by saying, I love being around Victoria and Micah. They both crack me up. Matt and I call them the Tweedles. Tweedle dee and Tweedle dum. In Alice in Wonderland, these two characters were silly, they broke up the monotony, and they kept you on your toes.
Now that I've said that, this week has been one of the longest in a long time. Matt left Sunday and Victoria has been on Fall break all week. We did crafts, went out to lunch, hit the book store and the library and experienced a VERY southern pumpkin patch. Micah spent a day on the couch with a fever. And all I heard all day, "Momma, want to snuggle with me?" Um, of course I do.
I'm exhausted. I enjoy it when Victoria is in school. I don't have to worry about her for 8 hours a day, because with her, you honestly never know what mood she is going to be in or what is going to set her off. Yesterday, she was a little off. I figured out why at 9 pm, she didn't take her medicine in the morning. Considering she didn't take her medicine, she did really well. But it could have been a much better day, had she taken her medicine. Today, we went to the library. It seems that every time we go they don't have or can't find a book that she finds through a search on the computer. She spends 50% of the time we are there looking at the library catalog online. Last time she got upset, and I can't remember all of the details, but it wasn't pretty. Today, they couldn't find one of their books that said "Checked in." She was a mess. We talked about it on the way home. We talked about being flexible. And I told her that she's not being punished, but I'm not taking her back to the library until we can make sure that she can handle going. (This is going to be something we discuss with her therapist, whenever they call back....) We then talked about how to focus on the good things. (Very Pollyanna of me, I know) Long story short, I need her back in her ABA soon. They are working on scheduling her, or that's what I've been told.
For those of you lucky few who have met Victoria, you probably know that she loves to tell funny quotes from cartoons. And you usually know one is coming, because she will start giggling out of the blue. Then she says, "Know what's funny." Today on the way to the library she started giggling, and I was about to tell her to hold on, because I was pulling into the base's gate, but Micah said, "What's funny, Sister?" Victoria started to tell him, and then said, never mind. And said, "Katie, know what's funny?" I said, "No, but your brother wants to know." And I'm pretty sure I told her it wasn't very nice that she didn't finish telling him, when he wanted to know. So she told Micah the quote. And the last part of the quote was (crap, I can't remember, so I'll use xxxxx.) So the last part of the quote was xxxxx. Then she said, "Isn't that funny Micah?" Micah repeated, xxxx. And she said, "Yeah, isn't that funny?" then we heard crickets. (I promise this story is very funny and sweet in my head.)
Oh Micah Bear. My goal this week was for him to learn about the letter A. We did a little bit here and there. But like most of my plans, it didn't work out, but other things did. (I guess I better do a little planning next time.) He knows his left from his right after this week, and he knows that a Stop sign is an octagon and it's where cars stop. So I'm going to consider this week a success.
Now that I've said that, this week has been one of the longest in a long time. Matt left Sunday and Victoria has been on Fall break all week. We did crafts, went out to lunch, hit the book store and the library and experienced a VERY southern pumpkin patch. Micah spent a day on the couch with a fever. And all I heard all day, "Momma, want to snuggle with me?" Um, of course I do.
I'm exhausted. I enjoy it when Victoria is in school. I don't have to worry about her for 8 hours a day, because with her, you honestly never know what mood she is going to be in or what is going to set her off. Yesterday, she was a little off. I figured out why at 9 pm, she didn't take her medicine in the morning. Considering she didn't take her medicine, she did really well. But it could have been a much better day, had she taken her medicine. Today, we went to the library. It seems that every time we go they don't have or can't find a book that she finds through a search on the computer. She spends 50% of the time we are there looking at the library catalog online. Last time she got upset, and I can't remember all of the details, but it wasn't pretty. Today, they couldn't find one of their books that said "Checked in." She was a mess. We talked about it on the way home. We talked about being flexible. And I told her that she's not being punished, but I'm not taking her back to the library until we can make sure that she can handle going. (This is going to be something we discuss with her therapist, whenever they call back....) We then talked about how to focus on the good things. (Very Pollyanna of me, I know) Long story short, I need her back in her ABA soon. They are working on scheduling her, or that's what I've been told.
For those of you lucky few who have met Victoria, you probably know that she loves to tell funny quotes from cartoons. And you usually know one is coming, because she will start giggling out of the blue. Then she says, "Know what's funny." Today on the way to the library she started giggling, and I was about to tell her to hold on, because I was pulling into the base's gate, but Micah said, "What's funny, Sister?" Victoria started to tell him, and then said, never mind. And said, "Katie, know what's funny?" I said, "No, but your brother wants to know." And I'm pretty sure I told her it wasn't very nice that she didn't finish telling him, when he wanted to know. So she told Micah the quote. And the last part of the quote was (crap, I can't remember, so I'll use xxxxx.) So the last part of the quote was xxxxx. Then she said, "Isn't that funny Micah?" Micah repeated, xxxx. And she said, "Yeah, isn't that funny?" then we heard crickets. (I promise this story is very funny and sweet in my head.)
Oh Micah Bear. My goal this week was for him to learn about the letter A. We did a little bit here and there. But like most of my plans, it didn't work out, but other things did. (I guess I better do a little planning next time.) He knows his left from his right after this week, and he knows that a Stop sign is an octagon and it's where cars stop. So I'm going to consider this week a success.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
10/7/12 ~ 5 months and counting
It is only 10:30 am, and it feels like I've had a 18 hour day. Before church this morning, the kids and I said goodbye to Matt for at least 5 months. I know, I know, he's only going to Texas. But he's not here and that's what matters to me. I'm excited that we will be able to Skype every night, and I can call him if I need him. I also like the fact that we had less than a week to say goodbye, usually we have to drag it out for a couple of months. I like this better, because I doesn't seem real and will take awhile to sink in. And by then I'll be too busy to be upset. :)
We had a couple of churches to choose from when we moved here. There was one 10 minutes away and one 25 minutes away. The one that is 25 minutes away is where Micah is going to go to school in a couple of years. We visited both churches and lets just say the one closest to our house had an average age was just a little bit high. So we became members of the one a bit further away, and I could not be happier. Turns out there is a special needs Sunday School class for Victoria. Victoria went for the first time today. One of the teachers is the Kindergarten teachers at the school and has her Masters in Special Education. She said V did great and she said it was a pleasure teaching Victoria because she has so much passion for learning about Jesus and the bible. (As if my day wasn't emotional enough, it was beautiful to hear.) I took Micah to Sunday School also. There were 11 kids in his room and they had a story, craft, coloring page, singing and a prayer. I stayed with Micah to get him used to it. But it was so fast paced I think in a couple of weeks, he'll be able to go by himself. It was a wonderful day at church today. I love having the confirmation that this IS the church that we need to be at.
Victoria is doing well in school. She has had a couple nights of math homework which totally overwhelms her. I have learned that she is good at Math and has a lot of good problem solving strategies for solving problems, but I think that she gets overwhelmed with the amount of problems. So I think this is something that I will talk with her teacher about. It seems that she has a lot of one on one instruction at school, which is a good thing. I do not think she is enjoying being mainstreamed for science, PE and lunch, but I am not at all about to pull her out of it. I think it's good for her to learn that sometimes teachers can't focus 100% of their attention on her. Plus, it's only been a month, so I'm hoping that she learns to enjoy her time there.
On Friday, she had a Special Olympics event at a park. I was unaware of the fact that it was a Special Olympics event, since her permission slip said that her class was going to the park to play bocce ball. I am going to let the teacher know that I would like to know about these events so that I can meet them there.
I'm excited to see what I can accomplish in the next couple of months. There is some organizing around the house that I want to do, swim lessons for V, lots of play groups for Micah, and some serious gym time for myself.
We had a couple of churches to choose from when we moved here. There was one 10 minutes away and one 25 minutes away. The one that is 25 minutes away is where Micah is going to go to school in a couple of years. We visited both churches and lets just say the one closest to our house had an average age was just a little bit high. So we became members of the one a bit further away, and I could not be happier. Turns out there is a special needs Sunday School class for Victoria. Victoria went for the first time today. One of the teachers is the Kindergarten teachers at the school and has her Masters in Special Education. She said V did great and she said it was a pleasure teaching Victoria because she has so much passion for learning about Jesus and the bible. (As if my day wasn't emotional enough, it was beautiful to hear.) I took Micah to Sunday School also. There were 11 kids in his room and they had a story, craft, coloring page, singing and a prayer. I stayed with Micah to get him used to it. But it was so fast paced I think in a couple of weeks, he'll be able to go by himself. It was a wonderful day at church today. I love having the confirmation that this IS the church that we need to be at.
Victoria is doing well in school. She has had a couple nights of math homework which totally overwhelms her. I have learned that she is good at Math and has a lot of good problem solving strategies for solving problems, but I think that she gets overwhelmed with the amount of problems. So I think this is something that I will talk with her teacher about. It seems that she has a lot of one on one instruction at school, which is a good thing. I do not think she is enjoying being mainstreamed for science, PE and lunch, but I am not at all about to pull her out of it. I think it's good for her to learn that sometimes teachers can't focus 100% of their attention on her. Plus, it's only been a month, so I'm hoping that she learns to enjoy her time there.
On Friday, she had a Special Olympics event at a park. I was unaware of the fact that it was a Special Olympics event, since her permission slip said that her class was going to the park to play bocce ball. I am going to let the teacher know that I would like to know about these events so that I can meet them there.
I'm excited to see what I can accomplish in the next couple of months. There is some organizing around the house that I want to do, swim lessons for V, lots of play groups for Micah, and some serious gym time for myself.
Monday, September 17, 2012
September 17, 2012
Howdy Folks.
Victoria~
Victoria started school last Tuesday!!!! There could not be enough exclamation points after that sentence. She is SUPER difficult to keep busy. If she had her way she would spend 16 hours a day on the internet. I had a rough summer, especially with the move keeping her off the internet for a lot of the day. It is taking me some time to realize that most kids would rather be on an electronic than something else. And she has literally spent most of her 12 years on the computer or internet. So having her back is school is good for me and for her. She thrives on schedules. I am happy with her school so far. They actually have her mainstreamed into a Science class with another 7th grader from her classroom. (mainstream means that a special education student is put into a general education classroom.) Needless to say this stepmomma has her anxieties about this. She is in a classroom with typical 7th graders who are 5 grades above her in reading and writing. However, in the couple of meeting that I had at her school, her principal said that they are very much into making the students as independent as they can be. I completely agree since that is what our #1 goal is at home. She is also mainstreamed for her specials: gym, music, and art, and also lunch.
On Friday, Victoria went on her first field trip. This one was actually very awesome. Her class went to get free sports physicals so they can participate in Special Olympics. I guess her class takes field trips to compete in the Special Olympics. Matt and I are very excited for this for Victoria.
On Saturday, Victoria was SUPER weird and not her normally weird and sweet self. She kept telling me that she wasn't feeling right and that was having a horrible day. Luckily, she was not having any self injurious behaviors as we did when she first came to live with us and was having bad days. On the other hand, she was saying that she wished she wasn't alive and that she was never born. She also said it would be easier on me if she wasn't hear. I have learned that she doesn't mean any of it, and she wouldn't say it on a good day. She was also being very ungrateful for everything she has. We had a LONG talk. I tried to talk to her about how some children don't have a 10th of what we have. But also how Dad and I sometimes feel the same way, that we want more, and that at some point every person feels that way. Long story short, rough emotional day for both of us. When I was making dinner that night I happened to look at her pill boxes. She has 2 different ones, one for morning and one for nighttime. I realized that she had not taken her medicine that morning?!?!?!?! Holy crap on a cracker!!!!!!!! I knew that her medicine had evened her out and reduced her anxiety, but this was crazy. The fact that she knew she wasn't right also said a lot. This fact of her being more verbal about her feelings and emotions stems from her ABA therapy. She takes 75mg a day of a generic Zoloft. Before Saturday, I had to remind her everyday to take her medicine at least once, even though it is on her morning schedule. :) I called her downstairs after this discovery, and we had a talk about her medicine. That Dad and I and the doctor do not just have her on the medicine for the fun of it. Needless to say, yesterday and today she took her medicine without being told. I love life lessons!!
Micah~
Micah was taking this move pretty hard. When he turned two, he took the role very seriously. He was a little bit more independent and a little more mouthy. :) However, about 2 weeks before we started our move his appetite when down the drain along with his sweet demeanour. He was a monster. I know what you're thinking, it was not just the terrible twos. Pots (my dad) came to visit; and even he was thrown by Micah's attitude and behavior. He kept warning Micah that Meme was not going to let him get away with this behavior when she visits in a month. I have been around two year olds, this was different. His appetite was gone. He wasn't even eating hot dogs and chicken nuggets. He was probably eating 300 calories a day. I bought cute sandwich cutters and cute plates to try and entice him. 5% of the time they worked. Well, the good news is, he seems to be over this monster phase. He is eating again and is still two, but his behavior is completely manageable. (Am I allowed to say that I manage my children's behavior? It sounds weird, but seems right.)
Also, it is finally cooling off here in Arizona. By that I mean upper 90s during the day, but 75 in the morning and night. Ahhhh! This is what Arizonians live for. There is nothing better than going to the park after dinner and it feels cool. And by cool I mean the sun is going down and it's 90 degrees.
Well, there you have it peeps. Thanks again for all the encouraging comments, prayers and love!
Victoria~
Victoria started school last Tuesday!!!! There could not be enough exclamation points after that sentence. She is SUPER difficult to keep busy. If she had her way she would spend 16 hours a day on the internet. I had a rough summer, especially with the move keeping her off the internet for a lot of the day. It is taking me some time to realize that most kids would rather be on an electronic than something else. And she has literally spent most of her 12 years on the computer or internet. So having her back is school is good for me and for her. She thrives on schedules. I am happy with her school so far. They actually have her mainstreamed into a Science class with another 7th grader from her classroom. (mainstream means that a special education student is put into a general education classroom.) Needless to say this stepmomma has her anxieties about this. She is in a classroom with typical 7th graders who are 5 grades above her in reading and writing. However, in the couple of meeting that I had at her school, her principal said that they are very much into making the students as independent as they can be. I completely agree since that is what our #1 goal is at home. She is also mainstreamed for her specials: gym, music, and art, and also lunch.
On Friday, Victoria went on her first field trip. This one was actually very awesome. Her class went to get free sports physicals so they can participate in Special Olympics. I guess her class takes field trips to compete in the Special Olympics. Matt and I are very excited for this for Victoria.
On Saturday, Victoria was SUPER weird and not her normally weird and sweet self. She kept telling me that she wasn't feeling right and that was having a horrible day. Luckily, she was not having any self injurious behaviors as we did when she first came to live with us and was having bad days. On the other hand, she was saying that she wished she wasn't alive and that she was never born. She also said it would be easier on me if she wasn't hear. I have learned that she doesn't mean any of it, and she wouldn't say it on a good day. She was also being very ungrateful for everything she has. We had a LONG talk. I tried to talk to her about how some children don't have a 10th of what we have. But also how Dad and I sometimes feel the same way, that we want more, and that at some point every person feels that way. Long story short, rough emotional day for both of us. When I was making dinner that night I happened to look at her pill boxes. She has 2 different ones, one for morning and one for nighttime. I realized that she had not taken her medicine that morning?!?!?!?! Holy crap on a cracker!!!!!!!! I knew that her medicine had evened her out and reduced her anxiety, but this was crazy. The fact that she knew she wasn't right also said a lot. This fact of her being more verbal about her feelings and emotions stems from her ABA therapy. She takes 75mg a day of a generic Zoloft. Before Saturday, I had to remind her everyday to take her medicine at least once, even though it is on her morning schedule. :) I called her downstairs after this discovery, and we had a talk about her medicine. That Dad and I and the doctor do not just have her on the medicine for the fun of it. Needless to say, yesterday and today she took her medicine without being told. I love life lessons!!
Micah~
Micah was taking this move pretty hard. When he turned two, he took the role very seriously. He was a little bit more independent and a little more mouthy. :) However, about 2 weeks before we started our move his appetite when down the drain along with his sweet demeanour. He was a monster. I know what you're thinking, it was not just the terrible twos. Pots (my dad) came to visit; and even he was thrown by Micah's attitude and behavior. He kept warning Micah that Meme was not going to let him get away with this behavior when she visits in a month. I have been around two year olds, this was different. His appetite was gone. He wasn't even eating hot dogs and chicken nuggets. He was probably eating 300 calories a day. I bought cute sandwich cutters and cute plates to try and entice him. 5% of the time they worked. Well, the good news is, he seems to be over this monster phase. He is eating again and is still two, but his behavior is completely manageable. (Am I allowed to say that I manage my children's behavior? It sounds weird, but seems right.)
Also, it is finally cooling off here in Arizona. By that I mean upper 90s during the day, but 75 in the morning and night. Ahhhh! This is what Arizonians live for. There is nothing better than going to the park after dinner and it feels cool. And by cool I mean the sun is going down and it's 90 degrees.
Well, there you have it peeps. Thanks again for all the encouraging comments, prayers and love!
Monday, September 3, 2012
What's happenin'
Hey Peeps!
I have been thinking for a couple of minutes and have no idea how to start this post, so your stuck with this silly sentence I just wrote. :)
We are STILL waiting for Victoria to start school. I guess here in Arizona, before they will place a child into Special Ed, they need to have a meeting with the parents, a General Education teacher, a Special Education teacher and the school psycologist to go over her IEP and Evaluation. (her IEP is her individual education plan that states her goals for learning and any and all accomodations she needs while at school. And the evaluation is done every three years for students in Special Ed to show that they are still in need of services.) While I was on the phone with the school psychologist last Friday, a week and a day after we dropped off her paper work, she told me about the meeting, and that the earliest time we can meet is THIS Friday. So two weeks after we drop off the paperwork. On one hand I am glad that we are having the meeting, except the Special Ed teacher that will be there is not going to be V's teacher, because she needs to be in a self-contained classroom which at a different school. However, the psychologist said that she could go to school on Tuesday, but she would just be in General Education classroom with all of the typical children. "Yeah, that will be great for her anxiety and self esteem, considering she is on a 2nd and 3rd grade level on her subjects, she should do just fine with 7th grade material and going from class to class even though she has NEVER done that." Once she realized that I was not okay with that plan, she told me the principal would call me later in the day to discuss options. I'm still waiting..... So this momma is waiting until AFTER the meeting, so no one is biased, I will be contacting the school district about this crazy wait. :)
So, with much deliberation and consideration of Victoria's needs: the plan for now is for Victoria to spend her school years with us and her summers with her mom. She is a little young to be a snow bird, but we know that this is the right decision. I am a little sad that she won't have much of a summer in Bethel, AK, but I was taught at a young age to share and I would rather have her 9 months of the year than 3.
It was a weird yet euphoric feeling today when it was settled that V would be with us most of the time. I feel like we should celebrate somehow like an adoption. Technically, I have been the mother of two for 8 months, but it is official now. I AM the mother of 2 and one of them has special needs. I feel like I should have started that sentence with, Hi my name is Katie and.... I am super excited for the next year, and it seems like December was another lifetime ago.
Long story short, my life will be a little chaotic again starting next Monday when V goes back to school, but I am super ready for the 4 of us to start growing roots here in our new city.
PS please pray for Matt and Victoria, as he starts a new job tomorrow and V starts school next week. She's a little anxious, and me too!
I have been thinking for a couple of minutes and have no idea how to start this post, so your stuck with this silly sentence I just wrote. :)
We are STILL waiting for Victoria to start school. I guess here in Arizona, before they will place a child into Special Ed, they need to have a meeting with the parents, a General Education teacher, a Special Education teacher and the school psycologist to go over her IEP and Evaluation. (her IEP is her individual education plan that states her goals for learning and any and all accomodations she needs while at school. And the evaluation is done every three years for students in Special Ed to show that they are still in need of services.) While I was on the phone with the school psychologist last Friday, a week and a day after we dropped off her paper work, she told me about the meeting, and that the earliest time we can meet is THIS Friday. So two weeks after we drop off the paperwork. On one hand I am glad that we are having the meeting, except the Special Ed teacher that will be there is not going to be V's teacher, because she needs to be in a self-contained classroom which at a different school. However, the psychologist said that she could go to school on Tuesday, but she would just be in General Education classroom with all of the typical children. "Yeah, that will be great for her anxiety and self esteem, considering she is on a 2nd and 3rd grade level on her subjects, she should do just fine with 7th grade material and going from class to class even though she has NEVER done that." Once she realized that I was not okay with that plan, she told me the principal would call me later in the day to discuss options. I'm still waiting..... So this momma is waiting until AFTER the meeting, so no one is biased, I will be contacting the school district about this crazy wait. :)
So, with much deliberation and consideration of Victoria's needs: the plan for now is for Victoria to spend her school years with us and her summers with her mom. She is a little young to be a snow bird, but we know that this is the right decision. I am a little sad that she won't have much of a summer in Bethel, AK, but I was taught at a young age to share and I would rather have her 9 months of the year than 3.
It was a weird yet euphoric feeling today when it was settled that V would be with us most of the time. I feel like we should celebrate somehow like an adoption. Technically, I have been the mother of two for 8 months, but it is official now. I AM the mother of 2 and one of them has special needs. I feel like I should have started that sentence with, Hi my name is Katie and.... I am super excited for the next year, and it seems like December was another lifetime ago.
Long story short, my life will be a little chaotic again starting next Monday when V goes back to school, but I am super ready for the 4 of us to start growing roots here in our new city.
PS please pray for Matt and Victoria, as he starts a new job tomorrow and V starts school next week. She's a little anxious, and me too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)