How's the summer treating you?

Right now I'm sitting on my front porch. I'm enjoying a glass of vino and just sort of making sense of the last few weeks. Taking it all in. I feel like it's been forever since I sat on the "stoop" in the summer time. Granted I don't have a "stoop" now, but....

 

I would say that summer so far has been interesting. Between the monsoon rain and then the all consuming heat....

Of course there is the losing sight of Sean at both the pool (twice) and the zoo. That boy is the source of all my gray hair. For real. Becoming closer with some friends (you know who you are). Finding our "spot" in the community as a whole.

 

We are not doing to badly this summer.

 

I am officially 26 weeks  (and change) pregnant. And while I was pregnant with both Meredith and Sean in the summer, this time around is different. Much different. For starters.... the humidity down in NC is just that. It's humid. It's not smoggy humidity. It's just plain humid. I sweat, but I don't feel like I need a shower 10 seconds after I step outside my door. And with my last 2 children, I wasn't chasing Sean around like a crazy nut. Man that boy is stealthy & quick.

 

And geez.... I'm 26 weeks pregnant. I have 14 weeks left and while I would never wish for a preemie or a baby who wasn't done cooking.... I am so over being pregnant. I am so uncomfortable. This baby went from hanging out really low to planking. I look like I'm harboring a torpedo in there.

 

 

Please... don't mind the hair. That's the after the pool shower hair.

 

But gawd.... my self esteem is really not in the best of spots and getting bigger is really not doing anything for me. I feel like I'm lumbering around and just barely able to move. I'll spare you the gory details.

 

All told I haven't gained much in the way of weight. Yet. And what weight I have gained has been centered at the belly. So I'm grateful for that. As of 3.5 weeks ago I had only gained 10lbs. I can't imagine I've gained that much more.

 

Rob & I have learned some valuable lessons thanks to Sean. We were able to be very lax with Meredith. She never left our side and was always content doing just what she was doing. Not Sean. He is a ball of constant movement & independent exploration. I'm told it's a boy thing.

 

We learned (thanks to my friend Erin) that it doesn't matter if you no longer get invited to BBQs because your friends at the pool think you're part of a Special Ops military team. Your son will be safe. We have learned that kids will get used to their puddle jumpers.
 

. Our son has learned that if you don't wear one... well... you get locked into the stroller to sit & watch ALL the other kids play with your toys in the water. Now at least if his parents decide to have a conversation and he wanders off... we don't have to look at the bottom of the pool. We haven't had a wandering issue since the 2nd & last time at the pool.

 

Did you ever think a puddle jumper could be so comfy?

 

 

I have since brought the kids to the pool twice by myself. And by George... I nailed it! No one got lost. No one cried or had a meltdown. Potty breaks were facilitated by friends watching the little guy. Everyone got their recommended dosage of applied & reapplied sunblock. I managed to keep everyone hydrated and to keep their bellies full.

I even managed to get both kids in the water at the same time and neither of them felt slighted. Woot woot!!!

 

Meredith is learning how to trust herself in all aspects. Even in the pool. It's so amazing to watch her experiment and see what else she's capable of. I think she's so amazing.

 

 

 

 

She has started camp. She goes in the mornings 3 days a week. I have been kind of iffy about sending her, but she seems to enjoy it. At least from the last 2 days. She goes again on Friday. She asks for me to walk her in in the morning, but has no problem being led out with her counselor in the afternoon. Baby steps. I can handle it. Maybe.

 

On Sunday we met up with a beginning photographer to have some photos taken. I decided that I'd be bold and wear white. I didn't get all matchy matchy with the family because quite frankly I just want everyone to be comfy. And if that means Meredith wore her giraffe dress while the boy had on blue... then so be it. I wasn't starting the day off badly. She could've worn a clown suit for all I care. Ok maybe not a clown suit.

 

Anyway... I decided to go against my norm and wore white. I'm almost regretting that. I was incredibly bloated and probably could've used a little camouflaging black, but I didn't want to blend in with the scenery.

 

What she has sent me so far I really like. I don't necessarily like how I look, but I like what she's captured.

 

Ok I'm half way lying.... I LOVE my hair. Read: Pink Puffy Heart LOVE. I just wish carrying a child in your arms didn't result in odd body/clothing angles and weird posture. Humpf.

 

She's captured our love for each other. I love those moments of unposed happiness while trying to pose for a frameable family picture where everyone is looking & smiling.

 

 

 

Come on... do you not love the giraffe hugging Huck Finn picture?

 

The hat....? Well since you've asked. The hat was Rob's gpa's (who has passed away). I decided to bring it out because Rob really likes the hat and I thought it would be nice for Rob's son to wear his great-gpa's hat, but the hat has seen better days. Between moving & then storing the hat.... Sean however, could care less what kind of condition that hat is in. He adores it. He wears it sideways, backward. He doesn't care as long as it adorns his head.

 

At the moment it is sitting on my dining room table waiting for itty bitty hands to wake up in search of it.

 

I never knew a hat could make a kid so happy, but it does.

 

 

 

The only problem is fighting with the boy when he insists on wearing it to the pool. That's where I draw the line because it will get really ruined there. Not just loved.

 

So that's our summer so far. Tomorrow I'll be picking up the disc with the rest of the photos from Sunday. I'm excited. I can't wait to see them.

As the school year ends....

I am amazed at how much mature my kids are compared to September. Meredith can read
 books and knows a lot of sight words. CRAZY!

Meredith & her friends have figured out how to work together.

It's so cool for me to be able to tell Meredith, "you have to figure out a way...." and she figures out a way. Whether it's how to play a game that she can play with Sean that she can enjoy as well or figure out a way to articulate why she's upset about something. Being in school this year has taught both of my children how to get along. How to be WITH each other. 

And she's graduating. Not into kindergarten since she just misses the birthday cut off date, but from preschool into pre-k (as most know it). She looks so grown up in her cap & gown.

And Sean is a part of the group. I never thought I'd be so happy to have conformity from one of my kids. But he's accepted. He's liked by his friends and is part of the birthday party circuit. I know that may seem silly to be mentioned, but it's something I've been so worried about.

I've seen shows on TV where children with special needs have been isolated. Heard from parents of kids with Down syndrome that their children are often isolated. Not because their kids aren't or don't want to be social, but because the outside world (kids, parents, etc) have shunned the interaction. The fact that Sean has friends that he looks forward to seeing and who look forward to seeing him is so amazing to me.

Of course it doesn't hurt that Sean has learned to make himself comfy & fit in with any group. Especially with Meredith's friends. It's almost as though he knows that in order to be accepted into their older kid world, he has to do what they do.

Sean has also taught Meredith and her friends the importance of including everyone. Sean has shown them that he is one of them. He's not different. Maybe younger, but not different.

Sean's end of year program was yesterday and it was such a joy to see him up there almost cooperating. He wasn't running off. He wasn't being a pest. He was being Sean. Reaching for his favorite books and messing with the buttons on the radio. Ooooopppsss.Whose idea was it to allow him to play dj?

In the past 9ish months, both of my kids have learned how to take chances. To do things they wouldn't have done before. Rob & I have also learned the great importance of finding the right people to help nurture and teach our children. Finding the right people has allowed us to let go a little more. To allow our children to learn how to take chances.

Running through the legs of a man? Much less one she's never met before? Never would've happened before. 

Run through a fountain & get their faces wet? Never would've thought in a million years.

Being in school this year has taught my kids to be proud of themselves whether they reach the goal or keep on trying. They're proud.  The kids being in school, this year in particular since Meredith had been in school in NYC, has also taught me how much more important them being proud of themselves is rather than us being proud of them. Even though us being proud is a very close 2nd. ;)

As we transition from Early Intervention into the school system for his IEP... I'm not nervous.Sean will continue at Trinity for the next few years. I'm thankful that my prayers for Sean's dignity were answered and will continue to be answered there. I'm more grateful than words can ever convey that the teachers and director of his school have welcomed him and us so openly. With each passing day I was ever more happy that I chose to send Sean to a typical preschool. This typical preschool. Even knowing he'd be the only kid with Down syndrome there. I'm sure I'll feel the same way next year.

I'm proud to be sending my kids to a school that has allowed
the other children to accept Sean so openly. That hasn't singled him out or made him to feel different.

I am sure that his IEP will be integrated into his school days and he will continue to do really well. Just like his teachers this year were able to integrate suggestions from various sources to help him this year.

Tomorrow is Meredith's graduation. I can't wait! I'm sure all the words that will be typed here are

"Mom's hormonal and cried through the whole thing. Here are pictures."

So sweet your teeth will hurt

My kids spend a good deal of time thinking of and implementing new ways to annoy the snot out of each other.

But then there are other times. Times that are so sweet my teeth hurt.

Times like.......

Allowing his sister to perfect her make up technique on him

Her allowing him to perfect his gentle touch. And not knocking him 

over when she inevitably gets poked in the eye with a make up brush

Ooooooh what else do you have in there? 

Allowing him to go through her purse.

She has a purse. He has a murse. 

There are times like riding bikes. 

And..... 

Walking into school

Allowing your little brother to play with you & your friends

Allowing your sister to play video games with you

And not throwing her off of you when she tries to say she's stronger. 

Being a good sport while trying on some fancy heels. 

Everyone knows... the first step to being a fabulous drag queen is learning to walk in heels

Yeah..... The days like that make me not care that it looks like a supermarket exploded from my kids' kitchen. Or the days when it looks like Nascar threw up all over my living room.

It makes me sigh with relief that we must be doing something right. 

I can't believe it's been so long. An update.

Since I've posted here. Things have just been a little busy around here.

Christmas was very nice. We spent it at home celebrating as a family. I was very sick on Christmas Day. I didn't know it until the next day, but I had pneumonia.

Santa treated the kids very well and as they were opening presents, I was taking ornaments off the tree. The problem with getting a real tree is that you don't know if you're bringing anything else home with you. Unfortunately for us, we brought weevils home. When they started dying from the heat in our house, they started to litter the floor. Of course that didn't start to happen until Christmas Eve. It was very exciting (said with sarcasm).

Rob's parents came down, but they weren't feeling well either. We missed them though. Meredith came down with the flu. Thankfully she wasn't hit to badly. And she's the only one who got it. Thank goodness.

Sean.... Mr. Low Immunity stayed healthy. Go figure. We're still trying to find our way with this one. I may end up going back to NYC to visit with an immunologist to get some answers.

Sean also met with his new cardiologist. We found out that his pulmonary valve will definitely need to be replaced. It is allowing 100% backflow at this point. Dr. Greene has said that it's expected and we knew it would probably happen. We were really hoping it would've taken longer. Dr. Greene said not to worry about it. That his ticker was functioning just fine & wouldn't affect Sean at all.

His right ventricle is slightly enlarged and as he gets older, it will get bigger. When he's a teenager, he will have the valve replaced (probably by catheter) and the size of his right ventricle should immediately go back down to a normal size.

Our new year celebration was quiet and that was a good thing. We were supposed to goto a kid friendly party, but because of Meredith's flu we stayed home. It was just as well. We drank a few glasses of wine in our pj's while watching Dick Clark's Rocking Eve. We had fun watching the top 30 artists made famous by Dick Clark.

Next week we are meeting with a new geneticist. I wasn't thrilled with what I was hearing about the Charlotte area geneticists. So we chose a geneticist near Charleston. So far he has been a wonderful man with lots of helpful information. We're not seeing him because we need to know anything about Down syndrome. There are no answers for the questions we have at this point.

We're going to discuss how Rob & I both having the MTHFR mutation affects us in the future, our children and any future children. Rob tested positive for one copy of the A mutation and I tested positive for two copies of the C mutation.

Dr. Google has provided some information, but has posed more questions than answers as far as I'm concerned. What prompted us to get tested? There have been studies published suggesting that a person who has a mutation of that gene can have children with Down syndrome and people with tetralogy of fallot, independently. And that can come from either the mother or father and have an effect.

In other words, if Rob was the only one with the mutation, our children would still have a greater chance of having those 2 things, as well as many others. Each different mutation of that gene (there are be 40 known) can bring with it different effects. Having one vs. two copies also brings different "risks" or effects. Having one copy of two different mutations can bring still other effects. At least these are the suggestions.

Anywho... Rob & I have a child who has Down syndrome and tetralogy of fallot. Because tetralogy is generally not associated with Down syndrome (not like AV Canal), it stands to reason (at least in my head) that our MTHFR mutations could have played a role.

And if that is the case.... I wanna know how it will affect my kids, my future kids and us going forward.

Sean had a gross motor/physical therapy evaluation. I was not happy with it AT ALL. It seemed that when E came in, she had some preconceived ideas of what Sean's capabilities were. And Sean seemed to pick up on something about her. He didn't respond well to her; as he has to every other person that has come here to either evaluate or play with him.

At one point she said 2 year olds have a hard time conceptualizing things and 2 seconds later put a yellow duct tape "thing" meant to be a balance beam down on my floor & expected him to know what to do with it. Um.... he has no idea what you're asking of him if you don't tell him. He won't attempt to walk on tape that is folded and everything else. He did walk next to it, but she was to busy chatting to pay attention.

She never asked me what he could do, whether I had witnessed things that he wasn't demonstrating for her like EVERY other evaluator before her has. She asked me whether I wanted to know about his functionality and seemed annoyed when I told her he functioned just fine.

Now... I do not have my head in the sand when it comes to Sean's abilities. I know Sean is "behind" typical kids his own age. I know he is immature in his speech and I know his coordination is lacking. He's also as stubborn as they come! My kid!? Never!?

So I calmly asked how "behind" he was. E asked, "compared to a 30 month old with Down syndrome or a typical 30 month old?" I explained that Sean is in a class with typical kids. He is the only child with Down syndrome. I want for Sean to strive and be expected to "fit in" with those kids as he gets older.

Many parents do not believe in that. And that's fine. Whatever works for you & your family. Please don't judge me that I want my kid to fit in with his typical peers. In much the same manner that I want Meredith to fit in.

She rated Sean at between 11 & 15 mos for gross motor and then gave us some ideas for helping him with stairs and jumping. Um.... I have never met an 11 month old that would be working on going up & down stairs upright on their feet. Which is what would be added to his IFSP as a goal. In fact at 15 months, Meredith wouldn't even so much as look at stairs to go up on her feet. So something doesn't add up there.

After discussing it with his service coordinator, Sean is getting a new evaluation. He will not be retested on things he did perform and that's fine, but come on.

Both kids are doing well in school. Thank goodness.

Meredith has reached a point where she's picking up on different things from different kids. It has been allowing a lot of conversation about what various words mean and how they can be hurtful. I don't wanna shield her from "bad" words. She's going to hear them. But I want her to know how they make people feel when they're spoken. And how the hurt people feel can never be taken back.

It started with her not wanting to goto dance class which is totally not like her at all. She wouldn't tell us why. Then the other day Meredith and Sean were playing in the kitchen with their new play kitchen and I heard Meredith ask, "What are you a moron?" I was caught so off guard I didn't know what to do. Especially since moron is not a word in my vocabulary. I will and do say a lot of things children should probably not hear, but that's not one of them.

When I called her over, I asked her where she'd heard it and she immediately started sobbing. It was futile to try to talk to her about it then. So I asked her if she knew what that word meant. She said, "no." I told her that it meant stupid or not smart and calling someone a moron was calling them stupid. I asked her if she would like if someone called her stupid or not smart. And she started to cry and said, "no. that it would make her feel bad."

She still wouldn't give up the info I wanted though. Was her teacher calling people morons? Was a child? When she was calmer, she explained that there was a little girl in her class that says "ugly things" and sometimes says them to Meredith. She said she's gotten in trouble by the teacher for saying them back. So I let Meredith know that she shouldn't say "ugly things" back to anyone. If someone is saying ugly things to her, she should get up & walk away. She should go play with someone else. If her teacher asks why, then she should tell her she doesn't have to listen to ugly words and be called ugly things.

I told her that her teacher would understand. And then I spoke with her teacher and let her know that Meredith wasn't being defiant if she got up and walked away from an activity and what I had told Meredith.

I'm actually happy that it allowed us an opportunity to talk about it. I want to give my kids the tools they need to actually handle situations that make them uncomfortable. I don't want to shield them from things they will inevitably have to deal with. And that includes people using words that will upset them.

Phew.... that was some update. I really have to be better about getting on here.

As usual, our new year is proving to be quite exciting already. And it's only going to get more exciting if we continue on this trend.

Here's the thing about stress

Disclaimer: I'm going to rant. I'm going to spill it right here. If you're going to be sensitive, claim I'm bashing anyone, boohoo at me or anything else.... don't bother. If you don't like it or don't wanna "hear" it, don't keep reading.



I have been hypothyroid (Hashimoto's) for years. Years. (That's important) I had bloodwork done in NYC and brought it down here to my new dr. He didn't like my TSH numbers saying they were to high and not in the newly recommended 1-2 range. So he increased my Synthroid. He said I should come back for my follow up 6-8 weeks so we can see how I was doing.

Today was that follow up. The day started out like any other. Me barely able to keep my eyes open because I hardly slept the night before. Kids demanding everything under the sun like little gaitling guns firing off their rounds.

The exceptions... instead of snoring, it was the "did I hear something or someone come in the door?" The sound of the heater turning on. The searing pain in my ears that felt like someone shoving a qtip in to hard. Meredith waking up because she'd had a bad dream. Sean waking up WAY to early because he had decided not to nap in favor of falling asleep to early.

I dropped the kids off at school and headed off to my dr's appointment. I waited & then did the triage. Dr walks in and we discuss my ears. They look good. Pain is probably coming from the brewing sinus infection causing congestion. Don't even get me started.

How am I feeling otherwise? "Well doc... my wrists hurt. Which I find odd. And I'm tired, but that's because I haven't been sleeping. And... I'm always cold. Always. I don't know if it's because my thyroid is acting up or if I was just kind of expecting it to be warmer down here compared to NYC."

He feels around.... "Your thyroid does feel full. We'll check all the thyroid hormone levels. Not just the TSH."

But...... lets talk about this fatigue. Oh yes.... Lets. Lets discuss it. PPPppppppppppllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeee.

He says there are two types of fatigue. Mental and physical. He thinks I told him I was tired in relation to the thyroid. And so to disprove that (or so I assume) he says, "Having a child with special needs is stressful. Very stressful. It's perfectly normal for a woman in your position to feel stressed."

Now here's the thing about having a child with special needs. IT"S NOT STRESSFUL!!!! Sean is a typical 2 year old.

Wanna know what's stressful? A son who can't seem to rid himself of a medication resistant bacteria  and doctors who proclaim that "this" antibiotic is going to finally do the trick. Except that their miracle cure has already been tried. They'd have known that if they had bothered to read the notes THEY wrote.

Stressful is spending every waking minute looking at, doing something for, arguing with or any of the other numerous things that can be placed here for my children and then having them end up in my bed that night with their feet touching me. It's not that I don't love my children and don't wanna comfort them. It's just that I'm tired of seeing them. Mommy needs a little down time too.

Stresful is knowing that there are 2 major holiday parties coming up in a few days and I'll probably be taking my kids alone. Stressful is knowing that my incredibly shy daughter will be stuck to my leg and grunting at people who try to say hi while my son tries to take off at full speed through the crowd.

Stressful is having a dog who was just treated at the vet for God knows what and thensome poop in your house on your freshly scrubbed floors and your son discovering it. Oh yeah fun times. Or a dog who hurts his damn foot the day before Thanksgiving. My dogs are high maintenance. Lets leave it at that.

Stresful is not having consistent help or any cooperation.

I could seriously go on & on. At the end of the day, I smile. I smile through it all because complaining to anyone is not worth it. It doesn't change anything. I watch my kids & devise new ways to try to outsmart them. HA! At the end of the day I find my silver lining.

So Doc goes on to say that we need to start looking into healthier eating. Yes.... healthier eating would be nice. I'm already eating healthier than I was. My new nickname is granola. Healthier eating also doesn't change the circumstances surrounding our lives.

We should also discuss exercise. Doc... I have a 2 year old & a 4 year old. I get more exercise in a day than you probably get in a year.

Maybe.... you need to talk to a therapist or clergy. Immerse yourself in religion or yoga.

Um... I know why I'm tired. I don't snore. I'm in relative good health. My husband snores. I'm a light sleeper. My husband hasn't been home at night. I am always sleeping with one ear cocked to the world to make sure we're safe.

My kids... barely make it through a night without waking up. My son... would sleep clear through 13 hours if his ears didn't hurt & his nose wasn't congested, but drs.... have so far been unable to help clear that up. And so we see dr after dr. Ya know why? Not because he has special needs.... but because we have relied on buttheaded drs to help us and all they've seen is a kid with down syndrome who "gets sick more than other kids because of it" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH

My 4 year old is afraid of the dark & says she has bad dreams. She in turn comes to wake me up.

Broken sleep = tired the next day. 1+1=2    It has nothing to do with special needs you dingbat! Wake a chick up at night and she'll be tired in the morning.

So yeah... I need to talk to someone. My travel agent. I need a few days by myself on the quiet shores of some deserted island where there is no one demanding anything, no schedules to be maintained, no dogs that stink the place up, etc. A sandy shore where I can just breathe. And maybe drool. But definitely breathe.

I told the dr that my mental fatigue has been there for a long time. That's nothing new. I have figured out ways to calm the mind for bed. And I always manage to get out of bed & keep going. Physical fatigue is a direct result of my not sleeping the last few weeks. Cure my kid and help the other one realize that the dark isn't so bad.... Then we've got the makings of a good night's sleep. Help the husband not snore? HA! Even better.

He finally agreed that my fatigue was just the result of broken sleep and said "I'm not ruling out biomedical causes..." There's no biomedical cause. I just need some unbroken sleep. "We'll have your results tomorrow." He made me feel like my thyroid issue was completely made up and that I haven't been dealing with it forever. He's the one who wanted me to come in for a follow up. He's the one who upped my synthroid because he didn't like my numbers. I didn't. I got my bloodwork from my old dr and went about my merry way.

Don't tell me my fatigue is because I have a child with special needs. The drs give me more stress than he ever will. Well... short of the broken computers he's been leaving around.

Where to begin....

We learned at Meredith's 4 year old well visit with the pediatrician that she hasn't grown any taller in the passed year. On average children grow 2-4 inches a year. When they don't, it raises some red flags. Meredith is now being followed by the endocrinologist. She's had a bone plate scan which has come back normal. Now we must figure out a way to get Lady M to have her blood taken.

We tried a couple weeks ago with the lab at CMC Huntersville, but.... well... lets just say it didn't go well. And not because of Meredith who was as perfect as any 4 year can & would be.

Meredith is also eating some veggies (be still my beating heart) and steak. Yes.... you read that right. Steak.

Sean on the other hand has grown an amazing 3-3.5 inches in the last 7 mos. And that's not including the latest unmeasured (as of yet) growth spurt he's had. He went from a cool 18-24 month pant size to a whopping 2T. He's also wearing 2t shirts. Except for his short arms (no gorillas here), he could easily wear a 3t shirt. CRAZY!!

Sean's TSH levels have been normal. Thank goodness.

The last few months have been hard on Sean though. He's had these awful recurrent ear infections & sinus infections. He's missed more play dates and such because of them.

He's now been on more antibiotics than I am comfy with and we've started a new probiotic. We've also upped the vitamin D and a couple other of his supplements in the hopes of helping his body fight the infection.

We also had some immunoglobulin (antibodies) blood tests done. They've shown that his IgG & IgM are both within normal limits, but to close for comfort to too low. SO we're going to the immunologist. His nuetrophils & tcells are both normal. So his immune system SHOULD be able to fight the infection. Especially with the antibiotics.

So why isn't his body fighting the infections? Why aren't the antibiotics working? Is it a resistant bacteria?

What we know right now is that Sean does have a penicillin resistant bacteria. It's not the end of the world, but at least we have somewhat of an answer as to why his symptoms keep coming back. I have my theories as to why it's happening in the first place.

We go back to Sean's regular ENT on December 3 (Monday) to see what our next step is. We know that antibiotics are not working. Even Suprax which is the preferred drug for this bacteria.

What else are my kids doing?

Well Meredith is reading sight words. She's able to sound out letters. You say cat and she immediately sounds out the "c" sound and says "c". She's writing her numbers & letters. She's really amazing.

Sean is talking & communicating so much!!! I can't believe how much he relates to his world in so many typical ways. I'll ask a question and he'll answer. He recognizes that he can't say certain things like "hungry". If we're not paying attention to his cues, he'll go over to his seat & pull it out.

He's potty training. Yes. My 2 year old boy is potty training. I never thought it would start at 2 because he's a boy. I really didn't think it would start at 2 because he has down syndrome. He recognizes when he's pooped and will come over & say "Ooooooooohhhhhh". Then the stench smacks you in the face.

He'll grab his diaper & look down when he's peeing. He's gone on the potty a couple of times, but I think he's afraid of it. He's a little to skinny to sit on it alone.

And if you ask really nicely I'll tell you our awesomely funny 1st time on the potty story.

Both kids are discovering that the other one is actually fun to have around. HA! They can actually play games now that Sean follows Lady M's directions. Did you see my eye roll there?

Sean started gymnastics this morning. Rob was able to take him and said he did really well. He needed minimal assistance and did really well until Mr. Frank tried to have him do a somersault.

We had Sean's transition to CMS (school system) meeting this morning. There were some good things, but there were also some things I wasn't so thrilled with. I have a few months before I have to really think about it. For now I'm going to live in ignorant bliss that my baby is going to be 3 years old.

School pictures

Can you believe that Sean is even old enough to have school pictures done? I can't. But they had them done last week. We got the proofs back. It's gonna be hard to pick, but pick we must.

   

I still can't over how well both my kids are doing in school. Meredith is adding & subtracting. She's really catching on to visual cues for solving math "problems". It's so fabulous to see. And Sean is saying more. He's really moving those lips & vocalizing coherent words. He to is really showing a great understanding of how things relate to each other. He can recognize several things we didn't think he'd know (yet). 

Going to school has done amazing things for both of them. All of the teachers Meredith has had the last couple of years have been wonderful. And I really can't say enough good things about their preschool. We have truly been blessed to find a school that is so good at teaching and nurturing my kids' minds.