IEP-Friend or Foe

Wednesday was Sarah's IEP(individualized education plan) meeting. They asked that I bring Sarah with me so everyone could meet her and see her in action. As soon as we drove up she was so excited and started saying "go school"--in her language. Then as we got closer she started saying the name of one of the kids she saw last week. She played so good and was a princess until we went to leave then the other personally came out. She cried all the way home, poor baby.

The IEP was not really that bad, but just having to go is bad enough. Sarah is only "developmentally delayed". Only being the operative word?!?! What, did they want her to be worse? Then she is going to be counted absent because I am having surgery and want to wait 1 week to start her so we both can recover from the ordeal. Not that the counting absent means anything, so why bring it up? I think I was just not in the mood today and if I was not having surgery on Friday this would not seem as bad. I guess overall it was good. She will go 4 days/3 hrs a day and will get 30 min of ST, OT, PT 2 times a week.

Surgery

Today I am going in to have my hysterectomy. I know life will be so much better without all of this pain, but having surgery is always of concern. I will probably not post again for a few days, so don't give up on the blog. I will update as soon as possible. Have a great weekend!!!!

Star Wars vs. Robot

Elijah told me several weeks ago that he could get up on his own if I would get him an alarm clock. I wanted him to have a really neat one, so I found this really cute robot. The week that I ordered it Pop-pop and Karen came to visit. We all had a great time. They realized that Elijah was all into Star Wars, so they sent him a Star Wars movie. It was a big hit. Of course, they both arrived on the same day. Which one do you think was the favorite? Elijah really did like both, but Star Wars was the biggest hit that day!!

Sarah's going to school

Last week Sarah got to visit her classroom that she will get to attend after her 3rd birthday next week. She loved the class. She went right over to the circle and joined in the circle time activities. She then made a friend and played in the homeliving area for center time. She pitched a bit of a fit when it was time to go. We go back on Wednesday for her IEP meeting.

Sarah's Day without Elijah

Sarah is missing her brother while he is at school, but she is adapting. Finally she will entertain herself upstairs playing while I do a little housework! Here is a run down of her morning:

Dancing to start off the morning.

Then Dora is on for her viewing pleasure.

Some therapy thrown in for good measure!

Mommy has been just keeping up with the housework and laundry. I have to get in some deeper cleaning this week since Nana is coming for 3 weeks to help after my surgery. I have also been putting up some meals so the Nana can just take them out and heat and supper is ready. It is hard to watch after 2 little ones and get meals when you are not use to it--even if you are use to it!!! Doug also got me a sewing and embroidering machine for my upcoming birthday. I have repaired a dress of Sarah's and practice some embroidery. It has really been fun. I am also separating out workbooks for Elijah's teacher. I have one more to do, of course I am going back in on Friday to help, I will probably bring more home.

Amanda's Wedding

This weekend we traveled to IN for our neice's wedding. They had a beautiful garden wedding at their new home. Amanda was a beautiful bride. I, of course, left my camera at home. We ran by wally world and I got a cheap camera, and it took cheap pictures, but I got a few ok ones. I will try to always remember my camera. Elizabeth was the maid of honor and was beautiful in her yellow dress. Elijah and Sarah enjoyed playing with M during the reception. I thought I got a picture of Elizabeth and Sarah, but Sarah had moved and it was just a blur.

This week is a busy one, but I will try to update better than last week!!! Sorry for being a bad blogger!!!

Off to a great start

Well, this morning could not have gone better. After my revelation on Sat and the sermon on Sunday(I think the preacher has a spy camera at our house and is using our family to pick his sermon topics!!!!), I was prepared for a peaceful drop off. I was not prepared for Elijah's teacher to far exceed my expectations in a teacher. I was totally off base with my thought of her. Man, first impressions can be sooooooooooo way off and if you base things on that you make life so much harder than it needs to be!!! Believe me I know! His teacher is working on her PhD in education, has her principal certification, has been teaching over 20 years, uses new and old methods, and is very loving and caring. All I saw before was an older teacher who seemed to baby the kids and I figured she did not use the newest methods. WRONG. Totally wrong. This teacher expects the kids to have fun, but obeying and following guidelines are a top priority. I have no doubts that the kids will not run over her. She set the tone today with the parents in the room that she was in charge and expected them to obey. She is structured, but just in watching her this morning I can see that she tailors her teaching to each child individually. Man we got a GREAT teacher. I am so glad that God does not always give me what I want. I can't wait to pick up Elijah and hear about his day! My day has been great. I am having some mommy time while Sarah sleeps. I really like mommy time!!!

Trust

Trust, such a hard thing. Trust that involves leaving your child in the hands of a stranger, even a harder thing. I have had a hard week, one that has really made me stop and think. Think more than I want to and probably more than I should. Add to all of this thinking was how I felt and man it was a disaster for a day or so. Why do we find it so hard to trust God in times like these? Let me give you a run down of the week and then what I have learned. Started the week sick. It is never good when mommy is sick. I have bronchitis, or should I say bronchitis has me. My doctor gave me some antibiotics and cough stuff and if I am not better by next Wednesday my surgery would need to be rescheduled. Oh, my surgery. I need a hysterectomy and I am set to have surgery on 8/28. So dealing with the emotional stuff that goes with no longer being physically able to have kids, although I am fine with it, guess it is just a process. This emotion totally surprised me. Then I take my baby to kindergarten for the first day. He is placed in the class that I am not overly enthused with the teacher. Nothing to base that on, just doesn't seem to excite me. We are to find out on Friday the final placement. Sarah is in a totally defiant mood and climbing everything. She is standing in her booster seat and I tell her to sit now and she looks at me, crosses those arms across her chest, and in the most defiant voice says, "I get down!". Now I am ecstatic that she says a three word sentence with perfect speech, but that defiance and tone. ARRGH!!! She did sit down. Then Thursday after 2 days of antibiotics the vomiting starts. We are at therapy and by the time I could get Sarah, I felt some better. We went and got Elijah, from school, and everyone had a nap. A long nap, I was so glad everyone was tired. On Friday I find out that Elijah gets the teacher that I do not think I like. Man, how can God allow that to happen? Does he not care about my son? Why would he not protect him? I am all fired up to go pitch a fit. Elijah on the other hand is so proud that this is his teacher. I upset him being upset. What kind of mommy am I? Horrible at this point. I step back and apologize to Elijah and just come home. I cry while the kids take a nap. During the course of the next 10 or so hours I ride a roller coaster of emotions. Matthew 6:24 tells us not to worry about the future. Psalms and Proverbs have many verses that tells us that God will protect us. 1John 4 tells us how much God loves--so much He sent His Son to pay for our sins. Why can I not trust God to love and protect my son? Why/How do I think I can do this better than God? So many times when it comes to mothering, us mothers tend to want to do it our way and want things just so for our family. We want others to trust us, especially our children, but do we really, 100% trust God with ALL? Do we? Do we pray for protection and the best for our kids because we think God is in control, or because we want to control God and get things our way? Can we pray "Thy will be done" and say that our kids belong to God and we give them to God and take our hands off of them completely? Can we? Or do we fear that if we pray this that we might be inviting the unimaginable to happen. Maybe if we don't pray that then bad can not touch our kids. I know reading this it might sound crazy or like I don't really know God. I do know God, but I am a mother, a controlling, over-protective mother. A mother who loves her kids so much I would lay down my life for them. Hmm, does that sound like something someone has done for us? Yep, God loves us so much that He laid down His life for us. God does understand us controlling, over-protective mothering types. God loves us and our children more than we do. God is love. He is overseeing our lives and He is there to love and protective us. God is in control, His way just is not always our way. God's way was a perfect life in Eden, but we humans messed that up. God is consistent and fair. The human race is a fallen race full of sin and therefore illness and dangers lurk. This is not God's plan. God has the perfect plan, but he gives us a choice. I choose today to allow God to have complete control of my life and my family. Now this is not to say that I will not try to control, I am sure I will, but I am going to try harder to give that control to God, because I do trust God. God does understand our weaknesses--He made us. He forgives us over and over again. This does not mean that we should stop being informed and responsible, but that we trust God as we hold our children in our loving embrace, embraced by His love.

Soccer Evaluations

Saturday Elijah went for his soccer evaluations. He did good and had a great time. The worse part was getting cleats. That boy hates to shop. I was glad the first pair he tried on fit. Did not want to draw out that torture!! Here are a few pictures of him in action, of course Sarah got in on the action too!

Gone Fishin

Elijah was so excited to go fishing with Pop-pop this weekend. We have been feeding the fish so they have really grown lately!!! He was excited to catch the first fish, although it was too small to keep. I then caught the first one big enough to keep with his fishing rod, so it counted as his. Daddy and Pop-pop caught the rest. We will have to have a fish fry soon. Daddy prepped all of the fish, now mommy has to cook them, but it makes mommy a bit queasy to think about cooking them and eating them!!! I know sounds funny. I have no trouble with food already prepped from the store, but something about seeing it in process just is unappealing to me!!!!

First Day of Kindergarten

Today Elijah started kindergarten. He did great!!! He got up the first time I asked, ate, brushed his teeth, and got dressed without whining!!! He got to school and went right with his group. This week they do 3 half days and rotate to all of the teachers. On Friday we find out which class he will be in and next week he will go 5 full days. He waved goodbye and acted like this was just a normal day, no biggie. Mommy held it together until I got out of the classroom, but not until I made it to the car. Man, I hate to cry in front of other people. My baby is growing up!!! He got in the van at the end of the day and said he had so much fun that he did not want to leave. That made me feel better......I think!!! We took him out to eat and then came home. He was definately tired. Sarah was so glad to see brother. She just kept looking at him and giggling. She missed her brother.