We have finally moved into our "real" house and we are no longer staying at the rental house. Phew! That was a VERY long six weeks. This home was not our first choice, but we are making it work. We were in contract on a short sale home for about 4 months when the seller backed out. EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING as we had basically a day to buy a new home. So- here we are! We will make the best of it and hopefully it will feel like home to us soon.
School update:
Well, I suppose you have to take the good with the bad, right?
The good is that Neve is thriving in preschool. She loves it SO much and CANNOT wait to go back after each class. I volunteered in her room last Tuesday for the first time and I was just so proud of her. She is a great listener, helper, worker, and friend. She even teaches the class sign language every week during "letter of the week" time. I am proud to say she knows the entire alphabet in English and in Sign Language. Go, Neve! ...and to think we had doubts about sending her so young..tsk tsk. This weekend was her turn to bring home "Curly" the class puppet pet. We took Curly on a few outings today too. We documented it with pictures and there is a journal that we write in and paste pictures of our adventures. Neve just loves Curly!
The "bad", or maybe I should say the "challenge" is Kindergarten for Nate. I will say that it is ever-so-slightly better...but not by much. I wish it was just ONE thing we could focus on, but it's a whole combination of things. First, all of the changes Nate has gone through these past few months are hard on anyone, let alone a child with processing problems. Second, there is a safety issue. We have been called by the school nurse FIVE TIMES in four weeks due to bodily injury to Nate. Alarmed? I am to say the least and I am making sure the entire school hears about it until he is safe. Apparently there is a child in his class with behavioral issues (well, join the club) that is taking it out directly on Nate. Trust me, I get it -to a degree. Nate is no angel and has no clue how to keep his "hands to himself". BUT, there is a huge difference. Nate pinches. Nate pushes slightly. Nate attempts to scratch hands. This is 99% of the time directed at a teacher, therapist, or aide that is attempted to redirect Nate to the task at hand and he is lashing out, in protest, the way he knows- physically. This child has left multiple bite marks on Nate's chest on multiple occasions- breaking the skin and bruising him horribly. This child clawed down Nate's face by his eye leaving Wolverine-type marks and completely tore open the skin in long gashes--I am assuming nail clipping is a challenge in their household by the looks of the marks.
So anyway, this is all an obvious concern to us as to HOW it keeps happening and why the proper supervision is NOT in place as outlined in our current IEP. Plus, I can't help but think that a bit of Nate's anxiety at school could be out of fear of this kid. Wouldn't you hate school if you left school bleeding every week? I would!!!!!!
SO- we are in the process of making sure Nate's safety is a bigger concern for everyone involved. :) If that doesn't work, Nate will just have to carry protection. Ever see an Autistic kid with a stun gun?? I kid, I kid....
To top of Nate's lovely school situation, we still have yet to agree on an IEP. The school tried to push me a bit..but they will give in. I am sure of it. I don't drop this stuff easily....and I have reasoning behind everything I say..just try me, Greenfield. :)
Other than all of that, we are surviving. We have hit a few parks during the wee morning hours when it's only 105, ha!, gone to a few indoor bounce houses, and had a gazillion smoothies. :) We miss the rental house pool as we had such a blast there everyday after dinner. I know Aaron is plotting how to get a pool at our new house too...
This morning we took the kids for haircuts. Nate is a pro since he goes every 2-3 weeks, so no problem there. This was Neve's first real haircut though. We took her once when she was a baby for a bang trim- and that was AWFUL. She really flipped out back then. This time was a completely different story though. Neve loved it so much. She was really good and was super excited for sparkles in her hair. :) We also now realize that her curls are here to stay. I, in the back of my mind, thought they MIGHT be baby curls and once we cut them off, it would come in straight. Um, no such luck. Her loaf curled up even tighter like an old lady's perm. Hahahahahha! She is darling and will grow into the curls someday, I know ! Mom just doesn't know how to deal with curly hair!!! My hair is PAINFULLY straight.
We HAVE enjoyed being closer to Grandma Ding. Neve just loves her so..and looks forward to her visits so they can play school and such. It's very cute. We are still terribly homesick though. I certainly miss MY friends and didn't realize how much I looked forward to seeing them in person..but it's so sad to watch Neve on the computer looking at photographs of her friends and saying, "Can Lucy come play house with me?". Breaks my heart.
I guess that about sums it up from here. This next week will be busy with IEP meetings and such. Good times. :) I will try and load more house pictures too. It's a, eh, um, work in progress.
