Patiently waiting...

A week from today, we should know where Adam is going for Kindergarden!  Hoping he gets into one of the two we applied for since I didn't go to packet pick-up in Westerville. 

What's going on...

Just a quick post to update on what's going on around here.  It is time to start thinking about Kindergarten! Here are the places we have been thinking about.  If we stay in Westerville City Schools, Adam would still go to school for 2.5 hours either AM or PM 5 days a week, which is just a day more than what he has been doing this year.  I think he is ready for more.  There is a place called All the Children of the World Academy that gives a 3-, 4- , or 5-day all day option (~8am - 3pm).  I went to their Open House last week and although I didn't get to stay for the whole Kindergarten meeting, I saw enough to like it.  I have also heard great things about it from area moms.  I will be calling to get a tour and more info this week.  And lastly, there is Columbus Academy.  Crazy expensive but you get what you pay for.  We've seen the end product.  Ha ha! Adam had his admissions screening on Friday.  He did run out of the building at first and refused to put on his name tag or take off his coat but once the other kids showed up, he didn't care when we left.  When our tour and the testing was over, all the kids were sitting out in the lobby on these little risers and Adam was yelling "surprise!" and jumping up and down.  He said it was a lot of fun and the kids were really nice.  He had no idea he was being tested..well, other than being asked what some words meant.  At dinner that night, he put his thumbs up and said he really liked that school (Academy) and the school we went to the night before (All the Children).  Now we wait until March 1st to see if he gets into Academy but in the meantime we'll apply to the others because we know Academy only has so many openings. 

Adam started Sporties for Shorties again today.  He did a really great job and didn't obsess about being next to any certain kid like he did in the summer.  One of his classmates Josie and her little brother are in the class as well so that might have helped.  Then they went on a field trip to the New Albany library for school today.   I think his favorite part was seeing where the books go when you drop them in the book return from outside.  All the kids got to check out one book that the teachers will take back to school for them to look at there.  I think Adam was pretty tired after all that.  I wish there was Sporties for Shorties and field trips everyday - minus the crazy that Adam gets when he's tired.

Contacted Westerville Schools

So I finally contacted Westerville schools to see if I could get Adam into speech therapy through them.  We love Columbus Speech and Hearing but with a new insurance year and $70 a visit, I thought we would try something we're already basically paying for.  I emailed the special needs preschool secretary to find out how to go about getting an assessment.  The first red flag was "after the second screening...if your child is eligible, would write an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and get him ready to start school in our program”.  Umm, start school in your program?  So I asked if that just meant starting therapy through the school or actually taking him out of Central College and sending him there (Adam would NOT be happy about that).  She said normally the child would come to their school but they offered "itinerant" services where I could bring him to the ELC each week.  But I would be contacted by someone soon to discuss any questions I had.

Yesterday I got the call from Ms. O'Leary.  After asking some questions about Adam and his speech and development, she said she was sorry but his issues are too minor.  She said they could come and do a first screening if we wanted but she could pretty much guarantee there would be no second one and he would not qualify.  Apparently, much like the birth to 3/Help Me Grow Program, if your child does not have major delays, you don't qualify.   She said to try again through the schools next year once he is in Kindergarten but speech for preschool is only offered through special needs. As thankful as I am that his Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome has given us very few issues, it's still a little frustrating.  

Snowflake Castle

***I thought I posted this a couple of weeks ago but noticed it said draft so pretend this is Dec 9th***

Friday I took Adam to Snowflake Castle here in Westerville.  It used to be held at the Senior Center but this year they moved it to Everal Barn and Homestead to make it more like the elves workshop and Santa's home.  For $5, your child got to help the elves make a toy and get a picture with Santa.  When we got upstairs to the elf workshop, Adam was like "Is this all there is??"  I'm not sure what he was expecting - there wasn't that much at the Senior Center and this was way cooler. The kids got a choice to build a wooden castle, a wooden bear or a wooden train.  I thought the train was the best but Adam decided on a castle.  He was handed a grocery bag of parts and told to wait until an elf was free.  Once one was free (it was only a couple of minutes) we handed him our bag of parts.  The first thing he had Adam do was stamp the bottom (it smeared but I think it said Snowflake Castle, Santa Cringle, Elfin Mike).  Then he got out the power tools!  Adam got to drill some holes and hammer in some nails to put his castle together! It even snowed once while Adam was drilling.  Magical elf workshop!  Once it was complete, they had an area with smocks and paint to finish their creations.

After that, Adam spent some time watching the model trains.  That was always his favorite part at the Senior Center so I'm glad they were able to set them up here.

All that was really left to do was to check out Santa.  We walked over to the house.  There was only one other family in front of us so the elf went ahead and punched our ticket for the photo with Santa.  Adam was wavering (he really doesn't like Santa for some reason).  I told him I would stand next to Santa and he could stand next to me like we did for some of the Disney characters. Nope! He said he would rather go to the Santa at the mall.  So we headed home.  Halfway home, he tells me to turn around and go back.  I asked why.  He said he changed his mind and wanted to get a picture taken for daddy to give it to him for Christmas. (Aww - that's sweet!)  I explained that they were closing soon and by the time we got back they would say no because they were closing.  Plus, they already punched the photo spot on his ticket and they might not believe that we didn't already get our picture taken.  So - we may be going to the mall this week...

Bag of parts

Learning how to use the drill

Putting the nails in the drilled holes

Hammering

Painting

Done

Trains

Finished front

Finished back

Christmas Songs at School

Christmas party at school

Here is a video of Adam's class singing some Christmas songs.  Adam's lips are bright red from a chocolate and red sprinkled covered pretzel.

 

 

 

"Rudolph" Lego that he made without any directions

Olive right before she fell off the couch the other night.

5 yr check-up

Adam had his 5 year check-up today.  I brought in my assessment forms that his 2 teachers from school, his speech teacher, and Dave & I filled out.  Apparently he is pretty good at school. The only problems they have are him occasionally disrupting class and sometimes leaving his seat.  At speech, he never sits down but he gets his work done.  Based on their reports - no big deal.  Based on Dave and my reports, Dr. Niland would classify him as ADHD.  BUT - since it isn't across the board for everyone, she suggested going to counseling. Adam did display a lot of his "best" behaviors for Dr. Niland.  She said something to the extent of "this is a little more active than normal".  As I was trying to talk to her, he kept trying to jump off the exam table into my arms.  When I moved away, he started yelling at me and threatening to jump.  (Actually, I think he said I'm going to f-ing jump.  I told her how he has been into the f-bomb lately). She said, "Go ahead! It's only a 2 foot drop and if you get hurt, I'm a doctor!"  He jumped and was fine.  Then he stripped naked and she told me to ignore him because it was just attention seeking behavior.  Then he started to hit me.  At one point I was holding him trying to just get him to be quiet so I could hear Dr. Niland and he unzipped my sweater (I had a t-shirt under it) and he started kissing my boobs!  WTF?  So...she got to see a lot which I was actually grateful for.  She doesn't start discussing meds this young so we have a list of counselors to choose from.  Fun!

Another F-  story:  Yesterday, Adam and I were playing Shoots and Ladders.  After one of his turns he quietly said, "I really wanted to say freaking fucks."  I said, "WHAT?"  thinking I misunderstood.  He said it again, "I really wanted to say freaking fucks, but I didn't."  Well, Buddy, you just said it twice.  Maybe you should just keep it in your head next time.  I'm telling you, we do not say that word very often around here! 

Disney

We had a fun time at Disney last week.  I'm slowly weeding through the copious amounts of pictures and it's making me tired all over again.  The Magic Kingdom was open until 1 am every night but Friday (midnight) and Adam stayed up until at least 1:00 pretty much every night.  He was NOT happy to have to leave. As we were packing up our stuff Saturday morning, he said "I hate you Fucks!"  I had to turn around really fast so he couldn't see me stifle a laugh.   Thankfully Dave kept it together and gave him a stern talking to.  More on the trip later...