First Day of School

Here's my big first grader! It's been a rough week; lots of tears from separation anxiety and some behaviors at home that we haven't seen for a while. Plus the poor kid is just tired and trying to get well. We decided it would be best for Noelle if we shortened the week, so she did not go to school Friday and only did a half day on Monday.

I was able to spend time with Noelle in class when I volunteered Monday morning. Her teacher is wonderful and she runs a very quiet, peaceful and organized classroom. This is perfect for Noelle given her sensory issues with loud noises. She liked having lunch at school the first day but she cried in the lunchroom yesterday because it was too loud for her. I'm going to try to find some child size earplugs for her. Another cool thing about Noelle's teacher is that she had open heart surgery when she was a baby and that has been a source of comfort and helped her have an immediate connection.

Noelle is getting stronger and plays harder every day. She's an amazingly tough kid.

Little bro had to get in on the action! He starts preschool next week and is SO excited.
They loved the mini pumpkins at their feet.

Can I still win mom of the year...

...if I forget to pick up my daughter at school?

Better luck next year, you think?

In my defense, I was really busy at work and distracted and forgetful and... yeah, those excuses didn't work on Noelle either as she stared at me reproachfully and said, "Mom, you forgot me didn't you?".

On a more positive note, after a tearful farewell this morning Noelle did end up having a good full day of 1st grade. Her favorite part? Lunch. Her least favorite? Not getting to play at recess yet. That's my girl!

She's a Graduation Girl!

Hooray for my brave, smart and beautiful Kindergarten grad! She has come so far over the past year with a fantastic teacher, continued therapy and God's grace and power.

This is Noelle's amazing teacher! We will miss her!

The beginning of the school year started with many tears and tantrums, anxiety, and sensory overload. Her school picture tells it all. It is quite obvious she had been crying with her red rimmed eyes and sad, crooked little smile. PE class was the the worst for her because of the noise level and the chaos. Every Friday we had the "PE mega meltdown" before and after school. Her anxiety at school was so great that she needed her special box of sensory stuff to help her calm down (she had chewable jewelry, a stress ball, a soft piece of flannel, and a small weighted pillow that I made for her--I would highly recommend putting together a kit like this if your child has anxiety and sensory issues). She had to take the state standardized reading test with a familiar adult and her soft blankie from home. To sum it up, my girl needed a LOT of tender loving care to adjust.

What a difference a school year makes!

I was so proud of Noelle today I could hardly contain it! She walked right into the loud, crowded gym, filled with strangers and she had a huge smile on her face when she finally spotted us in the crowd. She sang all of the songs and even did the hand motions. Then she walked down the risers when her name was called to get her diploma. She acted just like all the other kids!

She was also so excited about going to first grade which is a small miracle considering that she absolutely freaked out when we first started talking to her about it several months ago.

God has been so good to us! I'm so grateful for his guidance and love for us this year. He has met us through all of the challenges of raising our special girl!

Where Do I Begin? An Update of Sorts

I have been so busy finishing up the school year, hanging out with dear friends and planting our massive garden that I have neglected this whole blog thing terribly! Here's what has been going on lately in pictures:

A fabulously fun wedding (I only have pics of the rehearsal... I need someone in the family to take pity and send me their pictures of the actual wedding as I was too busy being IN the wedding to take any!)...

Joel's baby sister was the beautiful bride! It seems like just yesterday that she was one of my bridesmaids!

Sportin' our fancy red shoes! No one fell or even tripped, it was a miracle! Standing next to me is Joel's brother's girlfriend. She is such a lovely person inside and out. I love her to pieces!

My children are "helping" grandma decorate the reception hall.

A trip to Point Defiance Zoo

A preschool play and a kindergarten field trip

My little guy was the Red Bird from "Brown Bear, Brown Bear".

Then he received his certificate for completing his first year of preschool! My big boy!

My cutiepatootie Kindergarten field trip group!

Farmin'

We REALLY liked this little rental tractor... too bad it's not ours! I even got to drive it which was great until the dumb thing popped out of gear, I couldn't figure out how to stop it and then I nearly ran over my husband! My farmer hero dove out of the way then leaped onto the tractor to save the day as I panicked! It was a bit of a Lucille Ball moment. So very dignified.

This monster of a garden is approximately 1 acre. Whew!

My Baby Girl is 6 Years Old!

School Party! My big kindergarten girl was so proud!

The Hello Kitty Birthday Party!

Snow White also made an appearance! ;0)

"Wuv, Twu wuv will wast fowever"
The Hula Hoop Girls

The very cool and funky (and delicious) strawberry cake made by our talented friend Rhonda!

Touching Lives

These are the moments that make it all worth it:

This morning at our school's weekly RtI (response to intervention) meeting our principal wanted to share something close to his heart. He had received a handwritten card from someone in the neighborhood around our school that read something like this:

"This morning I watched the older boys playing football before school and was very concerned because they appeared to be playing too rough with a little boy who had a walker. After watching for a few minutes I came to realize that they weren't playing rough, they were including him in the game. One of the boys tied a flag to his walker, they let him catch the ball and they even let him tackle them. I was so impressed and proud of the character these kids showed. Good job ______ Elementary School!"

Believe me when I say there was not a dry eye around the conference table.

But it gets even better.

After that we invited the father of one of our students in to discuss his daughter's progress and the academic interventions that have been done to help her succeed. At the end of the meeting he thanked us from the bottom of his heart for helping his little girl. He described how far she had come in the past few months since they had moved here and then he gave us a standing ovation. Really, I'm not kidding.

The tissue box made the rounds again. In fact I need one right now, I am tearing up just thinking about it.

As my husband so aptly stated, "You school people live for this stuff. This is going to keep you going for years."
Too true.

Big School Girl

Miss N is officially a Kindergartener!
I love how her backpack is almost as big as she is.

Summer Vacation is Sadly at an End.

Big sigh.

My first day of school is today and I have mixed feelings. There is always the excitement of the first day of school... new school supplies, new clothes, fresh faced kids and the hope that some of my students did their speech homework over the summer (highly unlikely, I realize). I am a Speech-Language Pathologist, for those of you who don't know.

I do enjoy certain aspects of my job. I love helping kids reach their full academic and social potential through improving their communication skills. The kids make it all worth it. I do not like, however, the endless paperwork, meetings, and pressure to meet IEP deadlines. It stresses me out. I do not like leaving my own children during the week but I do what is necessary to help my family financially and I make the best of it in the meantime. Joel and I have worked out a great schedule this year. Our kids will only be in daycare one day per week and the rest of the time will either be with me or Joel.

My daughter also starts Kindergarten this week (cause for more mixed emotions). I am proud, sad, nervous, hopeful... it is hard to think of letting her go when I have only had her for three short years. It seems that just yesterday I saw her for the first time at the International Arrivals gate. My heart was pounding when Joel placed her in my arms for the first time. What an unforgettable moment to hold both of my much longed for children at the same time; one in my womb and one in my arms. I had better stop or I'm going to make myself cry.

I want so much for her to have a good school experience. I have done a great deal to prepare her for this day given her history of anxiety and attachment problems. She seems nervous but excited and I am praying for a smooth transition, that she will connect with her teacher and make new friends.

This is a big week for us all but God is our strength, joy and peace. I pray that I will remember this throughout the year especially at those times when I fear being swept away by the stress and pressure of it all.