The Need to Blog

I know, it's been a few days. Busy days, filled with the "normal" routine of our lives. But now it's the end of the week, and I can take a little (tiny) break. So here are the highlights of the week.

The nicest thing said to me this week: On Wednesday, I left Sofia home with E when I picked up the boys (and saw my therapist!). It was a beautiful day - we've had really warm weather all week - so I had another mom watch Micah on the playground while I drove Sam to his therapist (yup, Wednesday is Therapy Day). It is rare that Sam and I get to be alone in the car, and he is almost always much more relaxed and sweet (because there is no one taking my attention away!).

He was talking about chorus (the kids in 2nd grade and higher almost all sing in the Makelha choir at the school), and about some upcoming concerts (they occasionally go to nursing homes and things like that). He asked if I would be there, and I asked if he wanted me to be there.

He said yes, he likes it when I am at his concerts. "It's like you're always there for me. You hold me up." It was such a sweet thing, brought tears to my eyes!

The "just stop going to meetings" moment:
In two weeks, we are having the day school Shabbaton, which means we will all be together (students, family, staff) for Friday night services and dinner and Saturday morning services and lunch, and it's going to be at our shul this year (the shuls are taking turns hosting us).

So Thursday, they finally got around to having a meeting for all the parents who go to our shul. And somehow I ended up co-chairing the Friday night dinner!

Just kick me if I try to go to a meeting, will ya?!

The "hm, this is different" moment:
We have started Sofia's IEP evaluations. On Wednesday, the Inclusion Specialist observed her at playgroup, and today I took her over to the Speech Therapist, whose office is at the town's kindergarten building. Of course, both ladies were very impressed with Sofia's abilities, and the speech therapist is going to recommend at least 3 days a week in the inclusion program, with both one-on-one and in-class time for speech.

But here was the weird part. We have made this commitment to sending our kids to Jewish Day School. We have bought into the rhetoric about day school education, about pride in this choice. In some ways (which can cause plenty of problems, but that's another issue), the day school kids are "special" in the community.

But here I was, going into the Public school, and not only was I lost, I sort of felt as if I had done something wrong by sending my kids to "private" school.

No one said anything derogatory, everyone was very nice. But when she asked about Sofia's brothers, I was suddenly struck with the self-imposed "difference".

This is going to be an odd experience for me, sending Sofia to the public preschool program. I am going to try to remain calm and open-minded, especially since I do think the teachers and staff are really wonderful and it's totally the right program for her right now.

But it was odd to be in the situation of not feeling admired for the day-school choice.

The Don Corleone week:
I did take Micah to the pediatrician on Monday (the warning lights on my car went off about a mile after I left the house in the morning, so I cancelled the Toyota appointment). She couldn't find anything specifically wrong with him, and we think it's a virus.

He's still fighting it. The hives have gotten better. I give him Benadryl every night at bedtime, and he's taken a few oatmeal baths. But his mood swings are INTENSE. He goes from bouncing off the wall happy to screamin furiously for no particular reason, without any warning.

The poor kid is really uncomfortable, but wow, when he gets angry, it's something to behold. And he's very conscious of his body. The other day, his arm must have fallen asleep, because he complained to the teacher. She (about to go out for gall bladder surgery, and really not feeling great herself) let him go to the school "nurse" (really, she's the Office Administrator; we have a nurse on-call). R let him hang out on her cot for a while. Then he complained that his elbow felt like a hammer was pounding inside.

His vocabulary is great; he is very descriptive. And VERY serious!

The "he's losing his marbles" week:
Poor David is overworked, stressed beyond belief, still sick (taking the leftover Amoxicillin he found in the closet, which is helping). He comes home very late every night, and this week has had to leave very early several times for 7:30 programs. He had an annoying time at the Partners' Annual Meeting yesterday, so that just added to the stress.

I don't know how to help him, other than trying not to bother him with house and family issues. But at the same time, I don't want him to feel excluded.

The Signing Times addict:
My mother-in-law ordered Sofia three new Signing Times videos, and they arrived yesterday. Miss Sofia is a complete addict! All she wants to do is watch "aLLLLLLLLL" and eat. (oh, and now she's unplugging the Nintendo...)

I have to figure out whether any of the Signing Times videos really focus on potty training! (She's gotten much more enthusiastic about that, by the way. Now, when we suggest it, she goes straight to the bathroom, and picks the seat up to put it on the toilet.)

The Bath Toddler:
She's also a bath addict. Yesterday, I gave her a bath. Then I got her into pajamas, and Sam got into the bath. As soon as she saw that, she took off pajamas and diaper and wanted to get back in the bath. When I told her no, she screamed in fury.

When Sam was done, Micah took a bath; again, Sofia stripped and wanted in. Oh, she was sooooo angry at me! Mean Mommy!