Zeke- IEP

Quick update, because frankly I'm exhausted and possibly spent all my time this evening chatting with the lovely Tiffany Larsen and browsing Pinterest...

But I went to Zeke's eligibility and IEP meeting today and I wanted to jot some thoughts down.

1- The intake team in our county is AWESOME.  They are positive, they are personal, and they know their stuff.  I'm so lucky that we happened to plop ourselves down in Union County when we moved here.

2- Zeke is a charmer.  He has all of those ladies cooing after him and giggling, talking about him after he leaves, and even following his story in the paper and on our blogs (hey assessment team ladies!)

3- Zeke is "significantly delayed" in all areas...with the caveat that it is hard to get an accurate assessment due to his past and the transitions that he is making now.

I'm trying to write out my feelings on this here and I've rewritten it several times now...the thing is, hearing that he was "significantly delayed" didn't hurt my feelings this time, like it did at Chase's first IEP.  And it's not that I don't care...it's just that I feel like I've turned a corner with acceptance.  No, I don't like hearing that Z is behind...but I knew it was coming, and I also knew that he's in a place where he'll grow into the skills that he is missing.  I know I'll feel the same way when we get to Chase's IEP meeting this year.  We're still pushing, we're still working...we still have high expectations...but I guess it's just more of a clarity thing: this is where we are (and that's okay)...here is where we're going...and this is how we'll get there.

Fine.  Awesome.  Let's get a move on.

4- Zeke will get speech twice weekly for 30 minutes, and PT and OT 3x/month.  I'm good with all that.

5- At home, we'll just continue doing what we do...playing outside, running, jumping, riding bikes (ok, trying to convince certain 4 year olds that bikes are fun), reading books, playdough, coloring, naming objects in play...and looking into more options when things calm down a bit (HA!).  No really- I want to try them both in hippotherapy...someday.  I do.  Really.

6- He'll stay in the same class he's in now with Chase, which is totally perfect.  He loves it there.

The end.

Welcome to the Rest of Your Life...

Today the boys were sitting at the table doing stamps.  Ian dropped something on the floor and was picking it up, then Gavin got down and walked around him to get something...bumping Ian on the way.

Ian: "OOWWWWWW!  GUY!"

Guy: "I'N NOT TOUCHIN' YOU!"

...and the official brotherly arguing begins...

Ianisms- Ornaments

Decorating the tree:

Mom, this is the most beautimous ornament.  I am SO letting you put this one on.

Ian- reading

In the last week, Ian has started to get that reading spark.  He's been able to read for a while, but never really cared all that much about it outside of school.  Reading was just a task to do in the classroom, although he's always loved listening to stories.

But this week something finally clicked.  Maybe he turned the corner in his skills and was able to read books that are more interesting to him...maybe he just had that epiphany that I've been waiting for him to have...

He's finally getting that concept of becoming lost in a book, of looking forward to time when it's quiet and he can sit down and become engrossed in a story.

He's reading some Star Wars book, which, you know, isn't my first choice for reading, but if he loves it and doesn't want to turn out the light at night...so be it.

He's going to kill me for writing this later on...but tonight he was sitting on the toilet for a *long* stop, and I knocked on the door and told him that next time he should bring a book in there to read.  He was completely aghast at the idea, until I told him that he comes from a long line of men who routinely read in the bathroom.  He thought that was both hilarious and intriguing.  I'm betting that tomorrow I will see some Star Wars related reading material next to the potty.

Lather, Rinse, Repeat

I'm not gonna lie, the days have been kind of smooshing together here.  Early wake-ups, off to school/work, home from school/work, dinner, baths, bedtimes.

Sure, scattered within that pattern are sleepy smiles, gigantic poopy diapers and an angry butt rash, Gavin instigating trouble wherever and with whomever he is...there are bedtime stories and splashing in the tub, and endless Itsy Bitsy Spider songs sung over and over and over again in the car.

There are crafts from school, little cotton ball sheep glued onto toilet paper rolls...then there are the mounds of toilet paper that someone (ahem, Zeke or Guy) feels the need to unroll every time they are left alone in the bathroom.

It's life, and it's going by in fast forward right now.  I have all these ideas that I want to do with Chase and Zeke.  I have flashcards and reading programs, daily conversation journals and photo books.  I have really really good intentions, but not enough hours in the day to execute any of it.

I don't really know what the point of this is.  Just that we're happy, but busy (which I feel like I say all.the.time.)  Things are good...but hooo-eeeee am I ready for a few days off from work to be home and enjoy my family.

Follow Up Observer Story

Here's the culmination of our adoption story in the local paper.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/11/13/2764012/ukraine-to-monroe-a-journey-of.html
I love the last line. :)

Random

What we've been up to:

1- Zeke has new glasses!  Well, we have the back-up pair from Zenni Optical (super cheap, quick and easy).  They don't fit great (darn those cute little ears and that flat nose bridge!) but hopefully the good ones (which we still have to pick up from the optometrist) will fit better.  Zeke likes wearing them, and he frequently looks through them, then takes them off and looks again, and then puts them back on again and giggles.  What a difference it must be to actually be able to see things clearly now.

(you're singing this now, too- aren't you??)

2- Also in Zeke news, we had his second hearing screening today.  He is showing some mild hearing loss, but we can't figure out if it is because of some fluid that is in his ears, or he's just not fully cooperating with the screener.  We're going back in a month to see if the ENT thinks we should do tube (and with tubes, take out his adenoids, as well.)

3- Chase is also a candidate for tubes and adenoids.  Wonder if we can get a BOGO deal...?

4- Guy is pretty much fully potty trained.  Ask him to see his "unnerwear".  He loves to show it off.

5- Have I mentioned how much I love Ian's 1st grade class/teacher?  He is doing super good, and has a couple friends in his class from last year.  He and Mitch apparently are the scientists of the class, and have been writing up plans to have a science business.  Mitch came over to our house on Thursday evening, and the activities included 1) dissecting our nasty moldy jack-o-lantern and then subsequently throwing the pieces into the creek, 2) making a giant mess with vinegar and baking soda, and raw eggs and saltwater in my kitchen, and 3) several Bey Blade tournaments.

6- Work is good.  I like wearing big girl clothes every day.

7- Guy is kind of amazing.  I asked Ian how school was the other day, and Gavin chimes in, "Ask me about MY school, Mommy!"  And so I asked him how his school was today, and he told me this big long story about how Baby Reese was there today, and he crawled around on the floor, and he also ran around, and he took Guy's shoe and sock and tried to eat them.  A whole story!  From my 2 year old!  I think I forgot about this whole typically developing language explosion around this age.  It's incredible.

That is all.

Guyism- Button

Potty training is going pretty awesome with our little Guy.  He's dry all day long at school, tells us when he needs to go, and most of the time wakes up dry (but sleeping is hit or miss, so diapers at nap and bedtime).

It's a kind of great affirmation that indeed, I am capable of potty training a child, as I was beginning to lose confidence because of Chase's outright refusal to go.

But the cutest thing- after he has used the bathroom, and has pulled up his pants, he'll Chase me around the house saying, "Mommy!  Push my button!" until I stop to button his pants back up.

R-Word PSA Starring Ian and Zeke :)

Our favorite babysitter Kelsey is in grad school now for media-something or another, and came over 2 weeks ago with her group and a Honda CRV full of video equipment to shoot footage for a public service announcement for the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign.

Here is the final product (I think it's pretty awesome).

And honestly, people.  Stop dropping the r-word all over the place!  And hello- I know that language is a habit, so maybe you are trying to stop saying it, but it slips every once in a while.  If that happens, back up and apologize.  I've had 2 very close friends do that- it comes out, they realize it, and they feel badly about it.  Let me tell you- those that own up to it and have a conversation about it have my total respect, because I know that they are making an effort.

Anyway.  Thanks, Kelsey...for using your media powers for good :)

Friends Reunited

Even though we met a bunch of really awesome people in Ukraine, we missed so very much our friends here in Charlotte.

We spent this weekend catching up with a few couples that we hadn't had a chance to meet up with since we've been back, and it was so, so nice.

I love that we've made a home and an extended family out here.  I love game nights and park picnics and laughing so hard that my sides hurt.  I love that my kids have friends that they can count on...that Ian can either pick up and chase Emily around in the fall leaves or play Legos with Colin until well after midnight in hushed voices and the occasional shriek of laughter.

Happy to be back :)

Guyism- prayer

After I said the blessing at the dinner table, we started eating.  All of us except Gavin, who grabbed Zeke's hand and felt moved to give another blessing before he began.  He said:

Heavenly Father,
Thank you and bless our food.
AAAA-men.

My Gym

I totally love this place for the kids.  They have a blast.

But, DANG it is hard to get there now!

This is how it generally goes:

1. Convince Ian to do his homework before leaving.  Listen to ten thousand things that he decides he must do before he starts said homework, reiterate ten thousand and one times that he needs to do his homework before leaving.

2.  Buckle Guy and Chase in the car in the car.

3.  Go back inside and remind Ian to finish his homework and put his shoes on.

3.  Put Zeke on the toilet.

4.  Bring Zeke to the car.

5.  Realize that Chase needs to be changed.

6.  Unbuckle Chase and take him inside to be changed.

7.  Remind Ian to put his shoes on.

8.  Buckle Chase in again.

9.  Guy says he needs to poop.

10.  Bring Guy inside to sit on the potty, leave Chase and Zeke buckled in the car with their snacks.

11.  Firmly tell Ian that he needs to get his shoes on and get out to the car.

12.  Get Guy in the bathroom, where he insists on taking everything below the waist completely off in order to sit on the potty.

13. Guy sits down for exactly 3 milliseconds before deciding that he doesn't really need to go anyhow.

14.  Get Guy dressed (again) and bring him out to the car, where...

15.  Chase has wriggled out of his seatbelt and is now sitting in the driver's seat, pushing all the buttons and turning on all the lights and wipers.

16.  Threaten Ian that you are leaving without him if he doesn't get his little blonde heiney out to the car RIGHT NOW, SIR!

17. Buckle Chase in.

18.  ...where are Chase's glasses?!?!?!?

19.  Ian, who has decided to bless us with his presence, redeems himself by finding Chase's glasses.

20.  And we're off.

21.  Except I left all the drinks sitting on the counter, so I pull back into the driveway to run into the house to get them.

22.  Say, "Hands to yourselves" fifty bazillion times over the next 25 minutes.

23.  Make it to My Gym 4 minutes late.

24.  Tag Bryan in (he meets us there after work) and breathe a sigh of relief.

$5,000 for our school

Can all you internets do me a solid?

1. Would you LIKE this page Metro Honda of Union County on Facebook?

2. And then LIKE this photo of the boys' school (Waxhaw Elementary)?

Wouldn't it be awesome if I could say, "Uh, yeah...you're welcome for the fifty bazillion votes from my blog!"  It might make up for my complete disappearance from the PTA this year...

Thanks a bunch!  


(and come on!  it takes like a minute and a half- quitcherbitchin!.)

Guyism

When Guy wants to see something he says, "Gimme see!"

"Gimme see that book."

"Gimme see those unnerwares."

"Gimme see that punkin."

On a related note, he is getting very, very demanding.

On another related note, Tiffany's sister Nellie (who is awesome just like Tiff) had a baby today...and she named him Gavin!  Eeeee!  What a compliment :)  Happy baby day, Nellie!