It really irks Damon that Anne wants to change her name and that I'm supportive (she just has to wait until she's 18).
Today he said, "Anne took away about 15% of my happiness when she started calling herself Jessica."
Friday, March 30, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Anne
~in the mud hole I dug for her when we had our early summer a few weeks ago.
~last fall at a nearby playground.
You might not know it because I mostly blog about Claire, but this is the Year of Anne. I am trying to make up for neglecting her while we dealt with Claire’s problems. In December I pulled her out of preschool because I didn't want to have to drive in Michigan ice and snow. Then we had the mildest winter ever, and I couldn't put Anne back in preschool because the class was full. Turns out it was all for the best--next year the district is implementing full day kindergarten. Or maybe it will be all for the worst and Anne won't be at all prepared for a full day of school. Regardless, I'm not happy about this. Kind of excited (I strive not to be a liar), but mostly sad that my little girl will have to go to school all day. Why don't I just homeschool, you ask. Because I don't homeschool. There are a lot of homeschoolers these days, and I take off my hat to those incredimoms, but I'm not one of them. Anyway, I'm trying to get in lots of me and Anne time before the State takes over caring for her most of her waking hours. Anne also gets in a lot of He-Man and She-Ra time, I'm ashamed to say.
She still draws and paints a lot. Here are some examples from her still-life phase:
Claire
~Got glasses a few weeks ago. They have a pretty weak prescription, but apparently they are necessary in helping her eyes work together while we do her eye-crossing exercises every day. Or maybe the optometrist is taking advantage of our ignorance. I can’t believe how expensive they were.
~Her vain streak has resurfaced. One day I saw her admiring herself in the
mirror saying, “Oh, look how adorable I am.”
~Her vain streak has resurfaced. One day I saw her admiring herself in the
mirror saying, “Oh, look how adorable I am.”
~Takes pride in doing things by herself. I thought this day would never come.
~Is learning to ride a bike without training wheels.
Damon
~Was elected to Student Council in the fall. One of his campaign promises was to have a "Pot of Gold Chocolate Coins Hunt" for St. Patrick's Day. We fulfilled that for his class a couple of Fridays ago. He told me we didn't have to do it, because he didn't promise he would, but I told him it's never too soon to start campaigning for next year.
~With his gingerbread house from a kit at Christmas time
~Earned his purple belt in Tae Kwon Do. Last Saturday I watched him beat up a girl. Thank you, Women's Rights Movement, for making that possible. Master Chung kept urging her to "Fight back! Fight back!" Thwack, Damon kicks her again in the gut.
~With his gingerbread house from a kit at Christmas time
~Earned his purple belt in Tae Kwon Do. Last Saturday I watched him beat up a girl. Thank you, Women's Rights Movement, for making that possible. Master Chung kept urging her to "Fight back! Fight back!" Thwack, Damon kicks her again in the gut.
~Is an advocate of exceptionally clean language. Crap, crud, butt, stupid, jerk, are all forbidden. He accuses me of saying bad words because I called someone a jerk (oops) and referred to the bottom of his baseball bat as the butt (not even Webster's Dictionary could convince him that that was an appropriate way to use butt).
Sunday, March 4, 2012
melancholy
Anne: I miss Grandma. [We hear "I miss Logan/Grandma/Bekah/our old house/Zannah at least once a day from her. I never thought a 4-yr-old could be so attached to people and things outside her immediate family.]
Claire: Me, too. She used to make us yummy food to eat. And Grandpa would take us on adventures.
Anne: Claire, I hope you live by me when we grow up.
Claire: I'm going to live wherever I want to live. But maybe my kids would want to live by their aunt.
Claire: Me, too. She used to make us yummy food to eat. And Grandpa would take us on adventures.
Anne: Claire, I hope you live by me when we grow up.
Claire: I'm going to live wherever I want to live. But maybe my kids would want to live by their aunt.
Monday, January 23, 2012
progress update
“You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.”
― Cormac McCarthy, The Road
That's a great book. You should read it, if you're not easily depressed/frightened out of your wits. It'll motivate you to get your 1 year supply of food, as well as buy guns, ammunition, and build a secret underground bomb shelter in your back yard.
Before I forget, I want to record what an excellent job Steve at Redwood Learning Center did (and is doing) helping Claire. He's the one who trained our Utah tutors, provided us with teaching programs, and is still supporting us via email and telephone now that we've moved.
When we first met Steve, Claire couldn't/wouldn't say hello to people (even her own father). She cried/screamed/held up her hand/turned her face away/all of the above. At kindergarten recess she would pace and do other self-stimulatory behaviors around the playground without ever going near other kids. There were other unpleasant behaviors, but I don't want to go on all day. Now, 16 months later, she can say hello and respond appropriately to questions like, "How are you?" She plays on the playground, and even plays with other kids. As I type she's playing dress-up downstairs with one of her school friends and her tutor JT. She sounds like a typical child, except her speech is still a little odd sometimes. And her cute little friend really likes her and was excited to come over and play! I could cry for joy because of that.
Claire no longer qualifies for services through the school district. Part of that is because she's repeating kindergarten, but that is also because of the therapy program Steve set up for her. I don't know if she will have an IEP in the future (her fine and gross motor skills are still a little behind), but for now it's wonderful.
Steve introduced us to the Superflex program which helps Claire understand how to behave in public, and how to overcome "rockbrain" thinking (for example: one night Claire was in the bathtub while Damon took a shower in a different bathroom. He got done before her and had his pajamas on while she was still in the bath. C: Is Damon out? Me: Yes. C: No! Make him get back in! I'm not getting out unless he's back in the shower! Me: No, he's not getting back in. You need to use your superflex powers and let things happen in a different order. [she still threw a fit, but she is slowly getting better at accepting life when it doesn't go her way. Bad example of success, good example of rockbrain thinking.])
We still have things to work on, but Claire is doing so well. We have Steve to thank for that, and Heaven for guiding us to Steve.
― Cormac McCarthy, The Road
That's a great book. You should read it, if you're not easily depressed/frightened out of your wits. It'll motivate you to get your 1 year supply of food, as well as buy guns, ammunition, and build a secret underground bomb shelter in your back yard.
Before I forget, I want to record what an excellent job Steve at Redwood Learning Center did (and is doing) helping Claire. He's the one who trained our Utah tutors, provided us with teaching programs, and is still supporting us via email and telephone now that we've moved.
When we first met Steve, Claire couldn't/wouldn't say hello to people (even her own father). She cried/screamed/held up her hand/turned her face away/all of the above. At kindergarten recess she would pace and do other self-stimulatory behaviors around the playground without ever going near other kids. There were other unpleasant behaviors, but I don't want to go on all day. Now, 16 months later, she can say hello and respond appropriately to questions like, "How are you?" She plays on the playground, and even plays with other kids. As I type she's playing dress-up downstairs with one of her school friends and her tutor JT. She sounds like a typical child, except her speech is still a little odd sometimes. And her cute little friend really likes her and was excited to come over and play! I could cry for joy because of that.
Claire no longer qualifies for services through the school district. Part of that is because she's repeating kindergarten, but that is also because of the therapy program Steve set up for her. I don't know if she will have an IEP in the future (her fine and gross motor skills are still a little behind), but for now it's wonderful.
Steve introduced us to the Superflex program which helps Claire understand how to behave in public, and how to overcome "rockbrain" thinking (for example: one night Claire was in the bathtub while Damon took a shower in a different bathroom. He got done before her and had his pajamas on while she was still in the bath. C: Is Damon out? Me: Yes. C: No! Make him get back in! I'm not getting out unless he's back in the shower! Me: No, he's not getting back in. You need to use your superflex powers and let things happen in a different order. [she still threw a fit, but she is slowly getting better at accepting life when it doesn't go her way. Bad example of success, good example of rockbrain thinking.])
We still have things to work on, but Claire is doing so well. We have Steve to thank for that, and Heaven for guiding us to Steve.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Peep is no longer with us
The kids got mice for Christmas. They asked for pet mice a long time ago, and I promised them they could have them if they did their chores without whining until Christmas. These are the kinds of promises you make when you feel guilty for moving your children from a neighborhood/state/everyone/everything they loved to a place they don't love as much.
They loved those mice. I even liked them for a little while, until I found out how much they smell.
On Monday, Anne and Claire were playing with them unsupervised. I feel kinda bad about that now. To avoid getting too gruesome Anne committed first degree mouseslaughter. I felt bad, Anne felt bad, Damon felt worse, Claire was philosophical, and now Peep is buried in the best little cardboard box we had (thank you, Marcus, for the box Jake's Christmas gift was put in) in the backyard. We've prayed for her soul numerous times this week, that she'll be happy in heaven and that she'll forgive us for letting her die. Damon says we cannot move from this house unless we take Peep's remains with us. So, I guess he's reconciled to moving here.
One down, two to go.
They loved those mice. I even liked them for a little while, until I found out how much they smell.
On Monday, Anne and Claire were playing with them unsupervised. I feel kinda bad about that now. To avoid getting too gruesome Anne committed first degree mouseslaughter. I felt bad, Anne felt bad, Damon felt worse, Claire was philosophical, and now Peep is buried in the best little cardboard box we had (thank you, Marcus, for the box Jake's Christmas gift was put in) in the backyard. We've prayed for her soul numerous times this week, that she'll be happy in heaven and that she'll forgive us for letting her die. Damon says we cannot move from this house unless we take Peep's remains with us. So, I guess he's reconciled to moving here.
One down, two to go.
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