My Answer to the "Slogan" Challenge

I wanted to use the idea of unity. But we also come with many different experiences and perspectives.  However, we all have the common goal of wanting the best for people who  have Autism. Therefore, we need to find a way to stay connected despite our unique viewpoints and situations.

Then, I also wanted it to be clearly related to Autism.  There are powerful, conflicting responses to discussions in any community that is so personally and emotionally invested in a cause.  The well-known symbol related to Autism is the puzzle pieces.

I think puzzle pieces work as an excellent symbol on many levels here.  A puzzle is made up of many different pieces, and each one is unique.  If you want to complete the puzzle, all the pieces must join together. If any piece does not connect properly with the others, something is missing, and the overall picture is lost.

Just so in the Autism community. Everyone involved is allowed to have their unique perceptions. But we must respect them all equally and work together, or else all of our goals for enhancing the lives of those touched by Autism will not be achieved. 

It's only been 2.5 weeks, and so much has happened already! There's lots to update!

I know, long title.  But so much has been going on with the kids and myself that I've been too tired to update! Overall, things are going really well. I think we're all finding our new "groove."

So let me try to organize this update with some subheadings. :)

Ryan and Summit Centre

Ryan just started his third full week at Summit Centre.  It seems to be a good fit. Already we are seeing some great things:

• He was afraid of the stairs at home because he'd had a bad fall. There is a big flight of stairs at SC to get in/out.  They have been assisting Ryan to get more confident going up and down them.  At first he had one person beside him and one helping from behind. NOW he goes both up and down the stairs confidently, holding the railing with one hand and a helper's hand on the other side.  He's doing this at home, too!
• Ryan is much more attentive to his name. This is one of the programs they are doing with him.  They reinforce him if he makes eye contact when they call his name.  I've noticed at home, when I call his name, even softly, he almost always looks over at me. That's a huge improvement!
• He has waved hello and bye-bye a couple of times without physical prompts.  This is another program they are doing, responding to greetings and farewells.  He usually gives more of a high-five when you wave hello to him (but at least he almost always acknowledges it if you're close by).  I have seen him do an independent bye-bye twice this week: once for me when I dropped him off at SC (he kind of did it as he was walking away--over his shoulder--too funny), and the other time, he waved bye-bye to Grandma from inside the van!
• He is more interested in feeding himself.  He will grab for the spoon if I take too long to feed him, and he tolerates hand-over-hand feeding assistance very well.
• He is trying to communicate more. He is making much more eye contact with me.  And the gestures . . . my goodness: reaching, patting, touching, signing "more," tapping his chest, rubbing his belly, etc.  I don't know what most of these mean, but I know he's trying to tell me something!
• He is responding to some commands well, too. "Sit down/on your bum" and "come here/come see Mama" are going especially well. He responds accurately most of the time.  I know they are working on "stand up/sit down/come here" with him at Summit. At home, I think he's also catching on to "close it": he's always getting into cupboard and drawers, and I'd say about 60% of the time, he responds appropriately when I encourage him or give him a little prompt.

Unfortunately, we've had our challenges, too. Last week, they finished a lot of Ryan's baseline tests, and began putting together his first serious programming.  On Thursday evening, he was a wreck when he got home.  I believe I described him as "an overloaded, short-circuited little robot with a malfunction."  He was stimming non-stop, and it was not "happy" or "excited" stimming.  He was clearly dealing with anxiety and overstimulation and just could not soothe himself.  He was running from living room to kitchen and back, repetitively, for almost an hour, squealing and humming and opening/closing his right hand (all at once).  Then he sat down and wailed because he was exhausted, but nothing would settle him.  He wouldn't eat well.  He slapped at his ears, chest, and belly. He rocked on the floor.  At his most overwhelmed, he stood in the middle of the living room and grimaced at me, tapping his head, then chest, then flapping his hands, then signalling for "more," then screaming in frustration.  It was heartbreaking. Neither Rod nor I could figure out what he wanted, what he was so clearly trying to tell us. I almost started to cry (I'm getting weepy remembering how helpless I felt!).  We tried everything: rocking chair, cuddles, lullabies, soothing massage, pressure, bottle, diaper change, leaving him alone, shutting off lights and TV (sensory overload?), and none of it worked.  Finally, at 10:15 PM, Daddy loaded Ryan into the car and drove him around for about 20 minutes, until he fell asleep. We've never had to do that with any of our children before.  It was so sad.

Ryan's next day was a bit rough, too, though thankfully not as bad.  He had a fussy afternoon at SC (when he's usually "happy"), and did the running/squealing/right-hand-flapping for a half-hour straight when he got home. Then he sat on his little couch and flapped, rocked, and tapped a certain spot on the couch for another fifteen minutes.  Eventually, although he still had fussy periods that evening, the stimming slowed, and he went to sleep by about 9:30.

The weekend was better (I think because he got a break).  He was generally happy [x2e2xwwd 21nbvcxza--HEY, RYAN, GET AWAY FROM MY KEYBOARD!] and there was less self-regulatory stimming.  I did notice that he started grinding his teeth again after he had stopped for a few months (ugh).  Daddy also discovered that snuggling and pressure can help settle Ryan when he's tired and won't nap.  Yesterday, he took Ryan in to our bed and laid him on his belly, with his head on a body pillow and the pillow going down his side.  Then Rod laid next to him on his side, hugging his back, and draping a leg over Ryan's lower body.  (I am writing this in detail because I don't want to forget how he did it. It worked well!) After about 15 or 20 minutes, Ryan fell asleep.  I think I need to look into getting Ryan some weighted blankets (but they are expensive--grr).  Some children with autism really benefit from them, and I think he'd be one of those children.

My First Parent-Therapist Meeting

So, today I went to my first official meeting with Ryan's senior therapist. Ideally, we'll do this at least once a month to discuss his progress, issues, programs, my questions, and yes, homework! This morning's meeting was quite intense because it was the first one, and I was shown how everything works. I saw Ryan's program binder which includes things like notes for staff that are specific to Ryan's needs and behaviours, his daily routine, and his actual programs and data they've started to collect. I can't remember everything we discussed today, but I'll try to give some details here before I forget it all! One overall theme is that Ryan's programs are very functional in nature.  We need to get him doing the basics first: attention, imitation, and play skills. These are what his speech therapist from Children First calls "the pre-language fundamentals," and we have to get these mastered before we can do other learning.  There is also a major focus on building daily living skills.

I guess here's as good a place as any for me to outline his homework (again, as much for myself as you!).  It's all a carry-over of programs he's doing at SC into our home.  Technically, we'll start formally doing and recording homework on October 1, but we can start practicing some of these items now. Tara (his senior therapist) said to aim for about 5 minutes of 3-4 of the skills each day; of course, more doesn't hurt, and less sometimes happens given life's interruptions (and don't we know that!).

Homework Programs

1. Tooth Brushing: Do this is the bathrrom, standing on a stool, at the sink (see 4.) Put a tiny dab of toothpaste on his brush. Touch it to his front teeth. He gets reinforcement as soon as he allows this.  Then touch it to his front teeth again. Reinforce when he accepts the action. Only touch his teeth two times for now.
2. Signing "More": Pick an object/activity that he will strongly desire and will want to have "more." May need to have a second person doing elbow prompts from behind if he is not responding to the stimulus.
3. Pointing to Request: Offer him one object that he will strongly desire.  He must touch--NOT grab--the item to receive it. When he reaches and touches with hand, form fingers into a point by folding down bottom three fingers on his hand.
4. Stepping up using a Stool: Do this in natural (incidental) situations, for example, washing hands at the sink, getting into the van [SC knows we are working on this strategy with Ryan's physiotherapist from Children First], etc.  For using the sink, note that at SC they now only have to prompt him by having the stool in front of the sink, putting his hands on the edge of the sink, and turning on the water; however, we may have to backtrack a step or two at home, first.
5. Using a Spoon (independently): Of course, use natural opportunities (mealtimes). However, only hand-over-hand when the bowl is nearly empty, and then encourage Ryan to try and do the last few spoonfuls independently.  (They have found at SC if they begin too early he becomes tired and loses interest. I see that at home, too.)

Some Other Programs Ryan has at SC

• As previously mentioned, responding appropriately to greetings: wave hello/good-bye; responding to his name by making eye contact; responding appropriately to commands of "stand up"/"sit down"/"come here".
• When a therapist points to an object and instructs him to do so, Ryan will pick up and hold that object for a few seconds.
• When a therapist tells him to "give me" a specific object, he will hand it over.
• Use a shape sorter toy properly.  Put in at least three shapes correctly and with minimal prompting. 
• Use a chunky puzzle properly. Put in the three pieces correctly and with minimal prompting.
• Scribble with a marker/pencil/crayon.  He will pick it up when instructed and make at least one scribbled line on the paper. (He is doing this well already.)
• Imitations/Gross Motor: clapping, rolling a ball, kicking a ball. 
• Participating in Circle:  He only does the last 5 minutes of the two circle times a day. Eventually, this will be increased as his tolerance and comfort level increases. Most circle participation/actions are hand-over-hand prompted right now. Lots of reinforcement for sitting nicely and paying attention.
• Language:  This is interesting.  During constructive play, they are simply monitoring and recording any sounds or vocalizations Ryan makes.  Eventually, once we see what he can already do, we hope to shape those into some word approximations! They are also incorporating clear, simple language into every interaction with him, just like we have always done.

They also know not to push him too hard. They aware of the difficulties he had last week and are trying to make a good balance of "program time" and "down time" for Ryan.

I know there's probably more, but that's all I can remember for now. :)

My next meeting there is actually on Oct. 9, but that is going to be a joint team meeting between SC Staff and Children First staff, to sort out what speech, physio, and other services are going to look like for Ryan and to co-ordinate the programming between the two providers for consistency for Ryan. That is going to be interesting; I'm especially excited for them to make plans regarding the path for Ryan's speech therapy/communication.

I'll also start going in for 2 hours a month and the occasional half-day session starting in October, to follow Ryan and his therapists around and observe them in action. :)

Mommy's New Role at Summit Centre

Okay, I can announce this since I officially found out this morning:  I'm the new Parent Representative on the Summit Centre's Board of Directors. Admittedly, a few weeks ago, I didn't even know they had a Board of Directors (well, never really though about it)! But then I was approached by some of the executive staff and asked if I'd consider volunteering for the position, since the current Parent Rep. has left.  They felt I was a good candidate. I was flattered (but nervous), and took time to do some research into what is expected from a Board of Directors for a Non-Profit Organization. And yes, it's complicated, very full of legalities to consider, etc.  But I also knew that I'd love to help out this organization that has done so much for my family, through therapy, teaching, counseling, groups, etc.  Furthermore, it would give me more insight into how this organization works behind the scenes.  Their only concern, since they know me pretty well now, was if I'd be comfortable "speaking up" at meetings (you know I'm introverted!). However, when it comes to my kids,  I am growing in my confidence as a "voice" and an advocate for all 3 of them. If it affects my children, I will definitely speak up!  So, I put in a resume and cover letter for them to peruse, and at their meeting on Thurdsay night, they voted me in!

I will be attending my first meeting as a Board Member (how official and daunting!) sometime in late October.  First, I'll be meeting with the Executive Director of SC for an in-take orientation to the Board and how it runs, get a procedural binder, learn to interpret some financial statements, learn a bit about the other board members and their roles, etc. I got a quick briefing this morning when I paused to ask her about the Board's decision. :) 

So this is another leap out of my comfort zone that I hadn't foreseen, but I'm excited about it! Being a parent with two young boys on opposing ends of the Autism Spectrum, I think I'll have some unique perceptions to add to the Board on behalf of the parents and students.

A Challenge!

At tonight's Summit Centre parents' group meeting, I brought  up my mixed emotions about Autism and politically-correct ideas/terminology. There has been a lot of debate, online, about postings from Autism-related groups that are meant to be uplifting and inspiring, but there always seems to be people arguing over the language used/ideas presented. Here's one example:  Is it okay to say, "My autistic child?" Should I instead say, "My child who lives with Autism/My child who has Autism?" I won't go into the details here, but we had a great discussion, and the SC's Clinical Director presented me with a challenge: Create a new slogan to boil down our feelings in to one catchy phrase that will overcome all the bickering over terminology and perceptions of the condition in the community of people who parent/care for/work with/advocate for those who have/live with Autism. 

The general consensus we came to is this:  If we fight amongst ourselves,  no one benefits.  As the famous saying goes, "Divided we fall." The only way we can bring about the best possible situations for our children is by staying united (in our little group, thankfully, we are). Now I have to come up with an exceptional slogan to embody these sentiments. The Clinical Director flattered me by calling me a "talented writer," but gave me this challenge in front of the group--"No pressure!"--and now I can't stop mulling it over. I did ask that she give me at least a few weeks. LOL

Andrea and Kevin/Meet the Teachers Night

On Thursday night, we had a "Meet the Teachers" ice cream social event at Andrea and Kevin's school. We went as a family. It was a good chance for their teachers to meet all five of us, and for us to meet them.

We talked to Kevin's teacher first. Kevin had said he wasn't going to talk to anyone and wouldn't point out his teacher, but when we got up to her, she was so sweet with him that he opened right up and started chatting away!  When he had lost interest, we had a brief chat about how he's been doing. Overall, things are going okay.  Academically, he's doing great. He enjoys the new structure.  However, he does have anxiety almost every morning. He often gets upset and/or cries when I drop him off at school. Mrs. Boutros says she often has to calm his anxieties when he first arrives, and then the rest of the day is fine.  Apparently, he's very afraid that grade 1 will be too hard and he can't do it! She keeps reminding him that he's been doing fine so far, and it always turns out to be a good day. I've been saying the same thing to him!  We're not sure why he's so anxious in the mornings, but he usually settles in.

That particular day, Kevin had an incident of lashing out and calling classmates "stupid." She said she had talked with him, and I gave her a little more back story I heard Kevin confide in Andrea about the incident (someone had knocked him over, but he didn't see who did it).  I also explained how "stupid" is Kevin's word for any thing/person/situation that really frustrates or overwhelms him, and we're trying to eliminate it from his vocabulary and teach him other ways to vent his frustrations.

Mrs. Boutros thought Ryan was adorable, and tried to get his attention, but he was too excited by all the noise and activity around us: everyone was in the gym. :)

When we got to speak to Andrea's teacher, it was again Kevin who piped up first!  Mrs. Ryckman started asking him if he knew her name (he didn't), but she reminded him about how they'd met before.  Then she told us that Andrea's had a "great start," she has "no concerns," she "enjoys having her in the class," and basically just to contact her anytime if we had questions. It was short and sweet.

I would say Andrea is managing her anxiety much better so far this year.  She seems to have more close friends.  Homework time is still a major challenge, and comes with frequent emotional meltdowns, but it's still an improvement from last year's nightly meltdowns.  Andrea's also happy because her teacher won a subscription to an online math game program for the class, called Reflex Math,  so they get to go on the computers a lot for their math.  And Andrea loves computer games! :)

Okay, I think that's all the update for now. I'll just sit back and take a breather after this marathon blog entry. ;)

Oh, wait . . .

 

The Summit Centre's Grounds 

I did have a few pictures I've taken over the past week or so of SC's grounds.  I think they are lovely.  There is a large front lawn with gardens and trees and arbors and pathways. The building itself is historical; I believe it was once a convent/school. There is a metal sculpture of nuns and children on the front lawn. I can't explain it, but it just feels welcoming and homey to me. It's just turned from Summer to Fall, so the grounds aren't in their full summer glory, but lots of flowers are still in bloom.

I also wanted everyone to have a visual of this place where amazing things happen. :)

Summit Centre

a view across the front lawn

a peek into the garden paths

(I think you can click on the pictures to see a larger view if you wish.)

First Week of School

Well, it's been a hectic week!  Andrea started Grade 3, Kevin started Grade 1, and Ryan did his first two days at Summit Centre. Overall, things have been going well.

On the first day, everyone was pretty nervous. Kevin and Andrea didn't want to go to school because they were anxious about all the unknowns, and I was preoccupied with trying to sort out our new school-days routine.  Ryan was confused because he didn't get to leave with Daddy and the older two kids like usual, so he got a bit upset when they went out the door without him.

Ryan Begins Summit Centre

Ryan's first day at Summit Centre (SC) went surprisingly well. 

We got there a little bit early because I had to drop off a bin and a whole bunch of supplies and notes to help him settle in there. When we arrived at SC, Ryan was in a good mood.  He was eager to get into the centre and go exploring.  We found Tara (his senior therapist), and she kept an eye on Ryan while I went out to bring in his supplies.  He went right to her, and then went to check out toys in the gross motor room.  When I came back in, Jen, his team leader therapist, was there.  She and Tara would be with him in the morning, and another team member would take over in the afternoon. (The children always have one therapist in the morning and a different one for the afternoon shift.) When I was talking to Tara and Jen, Ryan got tired of waiting around, so he kept taking off and running away!  Tara was amazed at how much speed he's gained since she last worked with him in April! LOL I assured them he would give them a workout if he's in the mood to run.  Then I said good-bye, and off they went to begin his day.

When I went to pick him up at 3:15, he was in a great mood. (It's nice because they walk the kids right from the front door to their parents' cars, parked in the cul-de-sac out front.)  Tara said he'd had a pretty good day!  We get a communication book that has simple but detailed notes and check-box ratings about Ryan's general mood, attention, programming, circle time, etc. each day. Jen wrote that Ryan had "excellent" attention and eye contact, and sat well ("good") for circle time. Programming was "average-good" and there were few problem behaviours ("good"). They helped him eat his snack hand-over-hand (HOH) and he tolerated that well, but he did not want to eat his cereal at lunch time.

His afternoon was spent with Lora.  She wrote that he fell asleep 10 minutes after lunch break.  They had to wake him up at 2:00, so he could have some more quality programming time before going home. I guess that first morning was a lot to take in, so he was ready for his nap! After waking Ryan up, they went and joined the last part of circle time. Then they did some structured play time with large Legos and a Pooh Bear music toy. 

The amount of nap time--about an hour--was perfect.  It was just enough to refresh Ryan but still have him tired enough to have a reasonable bedtime at home (just after 9:00). 

On Wednesday he had a day off because he doesn't start full time until next week (Monday).  We spent the day cleaning house, playing, visiting at Gram and Papa's, going for a walk, and chauffeuring his siblings to and from school.

Yesterday was his second day at school.  It was the first day I started the routine of dropping off the older kids at their school first, and then bringing Ryan to SC.  I decided to try taking Riverside Drive to SC after dropping off Andrea and Kevin because I thought we'd get to SC too early.  Ha!  I am learning about before-and-after-school traffic patterns in our city, let me tell you!  I left Lassaline (Andrea and Kevin's school) at 8:25 and didn't get to SC until 9:05! Oops! I  guess the Expressway is the better option, even if it gets Ryan to SC a bit early, and I have to go in and monitor him myself until 9:00.

It wasn't a big deal, though.  Sheena, Ryan's morning therapist, was quite understanding when I explained about testing out the various driving routes. Besides, Thursdays are much quieter at SC; most of the children have home programming on Thursdays. (Ryan's won't start for another month or two until they get his programming at SC sorted out.) Only one other student was there with Ryan. 

Ryan had another "good" morning in all areas.  Sheena said they "had fun together" in the gross motor room and using the wagon during play time.  He ate his snack well, but refused lunch. (?)  However, his mood was "good."

In the afternoon, he was with Jen again.  He got "good" in all areas and an "excellent" for circle time.  She tried to get him to nap, but he wouldn't. She said he kept laying down, then "popping up"! His general mood was "happy."

I managed to keep Ryan awake, although he was tired, until about 9:30 last night. That way, he slept through the night.

Overall, his first two days were way better than I expected. I am very pleased. I'm also looking forward to going in and doing my first observation day in a few weeks. I asked how long I should wait before starting those, to let him get settled, and they said I could come in another week or two if things keep going well. ;)

Andrea and Kevin's First Days Back

As I mentioned before, Andrea was nervous for her first day, but she ended up enjoying it. For the first day, Daddy took the kids in and stayed with them for a bit, because it takes time to get the children sorted into their classes.

Andrea came home quite pleased. She got the grade 3 teacher that she wanted (although she said both were fine, she did prefer Mrs. Ryckman).  She has some of her best friends from last year in her class. And she didn't get any homework yet, which was her favourite part!

Kevin was less certain when I picked him up. He was a bit overwhelmed by all the changes. He said he had a kind of bad day with some good things.  He was happy he had a friend, Jacob, in his class again.  He liked that Mrs. Lauzon (his favourite ECE from last year) came to visit him a few times throughout the day. He also like that he got to go to the BOT (Back on Track) room a bunch of times to settle down when things got to be too much for him.  His teacher is Mrs. Boutros, and he said his classroom EA is Mrs. B., but I'm not sure who that is yet. He did not enjoy the assembly (he never does--too many people, too much noise). He was also confused by some colouring activity they had to do, and said he had to redo it, and it made him upset.  However, he did like that now he's a grade 1, he got to use the "climber" (outdoor play structure). He also kept saying, "I think if I keep going back a little more, I'll get a little more used to it each time, and like it more." I encouraged this attitude although I strongly suspect a teacher or EA was the one who put it in his mind. ;)

There was some confusion at the end of the day in terms of picking up Andrea and Kevin. I had given notes for the principal and their teachers asking/explaining that I needed them to be dismissed 10 minutes before the bell in order to be out in the West End on time to pick up Ryan, whose program times are NOT flexible.  When I got to the school's main entrance/office, the kids weren't there. However, the principal spotted me, and remembering me from our transition meeting for Kevin in the spring, she beckoned me into her office. She said she'd received my letter, and that the arrangement was fine. She was very understanding about my complicated situation.  When I finished speaking with her, the first dismissal bell had rung, and still my kids weren't out. I had to wait to ask the secretary (who was swamped with first-day inquiries from parents) to page Andrea and Kevin's teachers to release them. Well, she only paged Andrea's! So, Andrea came out alone, and I sent her right back in, saying, "Go get your brother, please! You know where he is. [Their school is open concept.] We have the principal's permission to go.  We have to get Ryan!" She obediently disappeared and returned a few minutes later towing Kevin, who looked confused and irritated, behind her. By now, the second dismissal bell had rung. It was 2:55!  We had to run out to the parking lot, load into the van, squeeze through traffic that had blocked me in the parking lot, watch out for students and buses, and finally, race down the Expressway!

We ended up being about 7 minutes early to pick up Ryan. But I openly admit to aggressive driving. LOL

As we waited for Ryan to be brought out to the car, I explained the new routines to Andrea and Kevin. In the morning, I will drop them off at school, then take Ryan to SC. In the afternoon, they MUST be ready to go at 2:45, in the front lobby, so I can pick them up, and we can go get Ryan on time. (I later found out their teachers hadn't received my note until the after school on the first day.)

Pick up has gone much more smoothly since the first day. Well, except that on Wednesday Kevin expected I would be there the instant he came into the front lobby, and he was early. When I got there, I was confronted by an angry Kevin and a sympathetic principal. Apparently, he and Andrea came out together and when Kevin didn't see me right away, he tried to run out the door (flight risk--ugh). When Andrea tried to stop him, he had a screaming fit. Luckily, the principal overheard from her office and intervened, helping to soothe Kevin a bit. He was still not happy with me when I arrived (right on time!) though. Later, I explained to Kevin that I had been there on time, but he was released early. However, I promised to be there early from now on, so I would be there when he came out of the classroom area.  Yesterday, I was there, sitting on a bench in the front lobby, by 2:40.  When Kevin came out at 2:45, he ran to me with a great big smile!  The principal saw us and said hello, and asked if Kevin had "been tired" yesterday. I explained it was just all the new routines he had to adjust to, and she said, "I understand, Kevin; we all feel that way right now!"

Andrea has continued to have good days so far.  Kevin says each day is getting better. Every morning he has said he doesn't want to go, but so far, each day he's said it's getting easier.  He said he liked that they started doing "real work" yesterday. My interpretation of that is they have settled down into their classroom routine for the year which is exactly what Kevin needs. :)

Homework! 

Regarding homework, there has been some confusion. The kids misunderstand things, so communication between school and home gets a bit muddled sometimes. On the first day, Kevin had written "Read" in his agenda. I assumed that meant we should read a book together for homework, but he was adamant that they'd already done the reading at school, and he didn't have homework.  Later in the evening, I coaxed him to sit down and read 7 pages of a Hot Wheels book with me.  Once I got him to focus, and gave him lots of encouragement and praise, he amazed me!  He read most of the words by himself, including terms like "mountains" and "quickly."  This boy has amazing intellectual capacity; it's just getting past the autism behaviours to let his intelligence shine through that will always be a challenge! [By the way, a note exchange with his teacher confirmed that my interpretation of the homework assignment was correct.]

Last night, Andrea handed me her massive Grade 3 Mathematics book and informed me, "My home work is YOU have to read this whole thing." I was sure she misunderstood that, but she kept arguing with me, until I raised my voice and insisted, "Andrea, you're being ridiculous! I DO NOT have to read this WHOLE textbook! I'm sure your teacher just wants me to skim it, so I can be aware of what you'll be learning this year."  Once I had explained "skimming" to Andrea, she said, "Oh, that's what I meant." (Nice try, girlie! I love how she tries to backtrack on statements now.) Of course, in her agenda, the instructions read, "Look at math book." LOL

On top of this, there are so many forms to fill out for the first week of school! Ugh.  Then they have this weird policy where the youngest family member at the school brings home all important letters, forms, etc. Well, I figured some stuff was missing because it had been mentioned in the school newsletter, and I haven't received it.  This issue came up in the van this morning when Andrea and Kevin got into an argument over whose responsibility it was to bring these things home.  Kevin refused to be in charge of this, and admitted to not bringing some things home. In his mind, he's NOT the youngest; Ryan is, even if he doesn't go to Lassaline yet! So, I asked Andrea if she would be willing to speak to her teacher, explain the situation, and have all notes sent home with her. I'm also going to send a letter to their teachers on Monday.  Kevin's just not reliable for that responsibility, especially if he's set his mind against it!

I also have homework to do for Ryan. His communication book has information for me to fill out each night and morning about his eating, sleeping, mood, and any other items the SC therapists should be aware of.  I think this is a great idea, so it's there in writing, and they know what might be affecting his day. Eventually, I'll have other homework to do with Ryan, once they settle on an official learning program for him.  Right now, they are just getting reacquainted and reassessing him.

Domestic Goddess IN TRAINING

I won't go into too much detail here because I've been posting most of my personal stories on Facebook. Yes, I am still adjusting. I spend a lot more time perusing recipes and planning and making meals than most people probably have to do at this point, but keep in mind, I'm a total novice in that area despite nine years of marriage!  I am inordinately proud of any food product that turns out remotely well, and must take a picture of it and tell everyone about it because it is so unheard-of with me. LOL I also share my failures. I have to be honest, right?

I am still getting used to the schedule of getting the three kids ready for their respective schools, driving them in, and picking them up. (I wasn't as involved in that with my previous work schedule.)  I haven't quite found a rhythm to my days yet; I just do what needs to be done (laundry, dishes, tidying, etc.) at some point in the day. I'm overwhelmed by all the things I'd LIKE to do (cleaning closets, reorganizing toys, washing floors/walls/bathrooms/windows/furniture/rugs) that I don't know where to start. I think I'm going to wait a week or two on those until I get myself more used  to the new general schedule. 

Then there's still my adjustments to food and liquid intake and keeping up regular exercise.

Whew . . . The first week of the new school year is almost done, and we're surviving. ;)