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!

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!