BLOGGING

One of my daughters asked me not too long ago if I was still blogging.  It was my oldest daughter, in fact!!  I told her that I was not really doing much blogging, like, uh, no!  She asked me why I haven't and didn't find any of my excuses to persuade her enough.  She told me I should!  I have thought back to that quite a bit lately!!  There is just not any extra time any more, I get discouraged because things are still HARD, I want to be uplifting if I blog, and yet, I know, deep down, it's really the venting that is good for me!!  Just getting out the REAL!!

Since school has started it just feels like it has been a hellish tornado we have been consumed by!!  Yep, pretty much!!  Without getting into the nitty gritty of every detail, let me just tell you ALL we have done to make school work.  First I met with the whole school faculty (it's a small faculty, so there for, it is a small staff) before school started to make sure everyone was on the same page as for our expectations, things to be aware of and amazingly enough, this little group of staff was so very supportive and the 2 primary teachers had already read the book "When Love Is Not Enough!"  After school started, of course, Eden was thrown completely off (major change) and we met with Rose (the lady from Eureka who has fostered over 400 kids and has been a huge personal help to giving us more tools for our toolbox!!), the school psychiatrist, school nurse, teachers and principal to write out a 504 (individualized student plan) for both Bereket and Eden's needs!!  This was really good to all get together again and compare notes on how things have went so far in the school year.  We have sewn all of Eden's pockets on her clothes and coats and she does not have a bag as well (stealing) as she does not eat in the cafeteria with the other students but by her self in the classroom with the teacher.  She does not participate in recess (but does PE) instead she sits on a bench with a quiet activity to do (too much stimulation) and the school hired a personal aid to follow E around the school to help "keep her in line" and this lets the teachers focus more on other students and not feel like the have to be so hyper vigilant with her (and wow, do I understand this!)!  Shortly before the 504 meeting, I told the teachers that what E really needed was a personal aid that was trained and could not be manipulated (this aid is a young girl but read the book and has training) and I couldn't believe it when this happened!!  All I can say, is it is only because of the school and their hard work and understanding, that E can be at school!!!  Do I need to go into any more details?  Things are still pretty hard... almost four years in....

So, we are two months in to the school year and the past 2 weeks have been some of the hardest, yet I have to say that this past week E has had very good days at school and that is the longest stretch for us!  Last week was my melting point, though, and I have been hanging on with a thread and just so you know, that doesn't make for a very patient mommy!   Thankfully, I was able to meet up with a friend this week and have a short but very needed, break!!!  As for Bereket, he had a very rough start too!  Change is also hard for him but he seems to be settling in a bit better now.

I have so much to get caught up on but this is a start....

This was taken last week when I wrote my post....
friends and a much needed break!!!