Tuesday, October 23, 2007

The holidays are coming!!!

It is almost Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and THEN...... CHRISTMAS! Who's family do we go to, yours or mine??....Who do we have to our house??...who do we buy gifts for??.....is there some way to decorate the house once for all 3 holidays??...Hallogivingmas??.. Oh, and Megan is coming home Dec 18, but who cares. Not really, I care, haven't seen her for 1 1/2 years!!(she's been in Asia/Thailand,Laos, Cambodia, India, etc.) I hope I recognize her at the airport. So there is much to do in the next 3 months.

I'm also school shopping for high school, which makes Colleen's teacher anxious. We have 3 high schools in Waukesha, plus I'm going to 2 out of district schools and a private school. Some of this is for Patrick's needs too. Colleen's IEP is in December and I want to be ready. It may be time to get her some sort of communication system, she has an expressive speech disorder and it is time to do something besides articulation.

We buried my mom's ashes-she died in June. Colleen didn't really get it like she did at the funeral in June. We also scattered some remains in a lake we lived on. Made me think of 9/11. The remains were ashes. bone fragments, etc. I washed my hands for a week!!

Hope fall is going well for everyone.....

Saturday, October 6, 2007

October already??!!

We have a month of school under our belts, and are into the fall driving kids to activities everywhere. (we buried my mom yesterday-so this weekend is busy with family). These are our after school activities.
Monday: Patrick football, Colleen haircut during football, bible study
Tuesday:Patrick PT for his back, Colleen orthodontist, Teri support group
Wednesday: Patrick football, Colleen bowling, dinner with friends
Thursday:Confirmation for both, Colleen puppets at church, Teri assist
Friday:Patrick football, Colleen ballet,football game- followed by bonfire with hungry teens

During the school day this week, both kids have doctor appointments, dental appointments, I have a doctor appt. and haircut, maybe a pedicure. Also working on a ministry for special needs kids-we've met with the teachers and given them info on the child's disability. Now working on a parent pot luck and building up a reference library.

Also trying to find time for a date with my husband-ha! Helping to organize the family support program which gives families money to help keep there child in the home. Who gets what is a complex issue of points. Of course there is a waiting list.

The weather has been summer like, great for walks. Not you typical fall weather.
My 23 year old daughter has decided to come home Dec. 18th!!! She's been gone over a year. Recently they've had tsunami warnings, plane crashes, her credit and atm cards frozen (but that is fixed now). She's not all that happy to come home-loves Asia. It will be a major adjustment to have her back, but a blessing as well.

I'm also visiting the 3 high school for next year. I hear there is more mainstreaming without support,and less emphasis on adaptive skills which is the exact opposite of the jr. high program she's in now. Colleen's academics are low and slow, and I don't want her stressed and pulling out her hair again!! Plus she's ADD with some OCD issues as well.

But overall things are going well. I am blessed that I don't have to work right now, but I need to be with other adults sometinmes or I go nuts. And my time sure fills up. I need to be home at 2;30 when the kids bused come.

Hope all is well with you. Will continue to update if anything interesting happens.