Just Say Sew

In an attempt to turn over a new leaf, I am buying Halloween costumes now (over a month before said event) rather than procrastinating until the day before our church's carnival and/or trick-or-treating and ending up with really lame costumes.

Claire wants to be a butterfly. This is pretty easy. I bought some pink wings off of the internet. I'll make her a pink tutu out of tulle. I bought antenna at Party City this morning. Put her in a pink leotard and tights, and voila: she's transformed from a cute little girl into a cute little butterfly.

Jack saw a Darth Vader costume at a store and instantly wanted with all his might to be the good ol' sith lord. So that was really easy. Plus it was on sale at the time. Jackpot.

And then there's Cade.

A little backstory is required here: We have been watching Phineas & Ferb (a cartoon on Disney) for several months now. It's a witty show that even Scott & I like to watch with the kids. As far as characters go, there's the brothers Phinease and Ferb, of course. And there's their sister Candice. And of course you can't leave out the evil but perennial failure Dr. Doofenshmirtz. But, by far, the kids' favorite character on the show is the family's pet platypus. Yes, the family has a pet platypus. Perry is his name.

Perry is not your ordinary platypus. He is actually a secret agent living out a "normal" existence with Phineas and Ferb's family when he's not on assignment. But when he gets the word that his assistance is needed, out comes the fedora and Perry is now Agent P.

So this is what Cade wants to be for Halloween: A secret agent platypus.



I briefly looked online, but couldn't find a turquoise platypus costume. What gives? So I had to switch gears and come up with one on my own. Because [insert sarcastic voice here] I have free time aplenty.

I was able to find someone else who has traveled this egg-laying-mammal road before and was able to pick up some pointers. But since I couldn't find any plain turquoise sweats, I am going to have to make them.

The pattern I'm using makes the boy blue pajamas in the picture below. I'll freehand a hood to attach to it.

Add the brown fedora that's already purchased, some orange feet made out of craft foam to go atop his tennis shoes, an orange bill that will fit over his mouth, and a beaver-looking tail (that reminds me... I still need to purchase fabric for the tail!), and voila. A more-complicated-than-mom-wanted costume that will transform Cade into Agent P.

First Day of School

Today was Jack's first day of kindergarten. And lest I make you wait to the end of the post to see how things turned out... he had a FANTASTIC day! He is excited about school and wants to go back! Now I'm not naive; tomorrow could be a bad day and he may not want to go back. But today, we are celebrating that Jack had a good day.

Tears for Pee

This afternoon I took Jack Jack up to his new elementary school to meet with the school counselor and get a tour of the school (this was more for Jack's sake, since Cade already attends this school and I"m vaguely familiar with it). It could not have gone better!

Jack loved the kindergarten area, especially the centers area and did not want to leave. He wanted to stay and play. This was such a fantastic reaction! I had expected him to be anywhere from indifferent to intolerant of the tour, especially the kindergarten area. But this is not at all what I saw. Jack was smiling, looking around, and playing with some of the things at the centers (cash registers, realistic looking food, etc).

We finished the tour and decided to check to see if the 2nd grade teachers needed any help with making copies. No, no help was needed. But then Jack said that he was getting cold, which is a signal that he is about to go to the bathroom.

I quickly found the bathrooms but then just as quickly realized he'd have to go in by himself. I couldn't take him into the girls restroom, because there could be girls his age in there. And I couldn't go into the boys' restroom; that would be inappropriate. So I told him he had to go in by himself and pee. AND GUESS WHAT?

HE DID! He seemed particularly excited about peeing in the little urinal (I had the door cracked open so I could hear him and he could hear me). I couldn't believe it. I almost started crying, I was so proud of him. Oh who am I kidding. I did cry a little.

Do you realize that this episode was unheard of just 5 months ago? He was still in pull-ups then. We couldn't put underwear on him without a physical fight and lots of tears and hysteria. Forget about getting him to sit on the potty. God has helped him grow up a LOT in the past five months. We've made great strides. HUGE developments. Praise Him!

Jack starts school Monday. I'm still expecting some transition issues but I am much more confident because of our experience at school today.

Pix of the Curtains

As promised, here are pix of the curtains we hung on the back patio. I know there's a lot of "junk" on the patio; it's not an exceedingly pretty patio yet. It takes baby steps, right?






Pictures don't do the curtains justice. They really add a lot to the patio and soften it up. We've also planted a few trees in the backyard as well as relocating two crape myrtles from the front yard to the back. That has also softened up the backyard view as well. It's a work in progress!

Drilling a Hole in Brick

This is a slight departure from the escapades of family life...

I was charged with drilling 6 holes in brick to put in hooks that would act as curtain tie backs for the curtains we hung around the patio. I knew that I needed to use a masonry bit for the job. I also knew that it would be best if I had a hammer drill (which I didn't have). But I also reasoned that it could be done with a regular corded drill.

I was correct on all those assumptions. What I didn't factor in was keeping the bit and the brick cool as I drilled. I went through 2 bits before getting the sage advice to squirt water where I was drilling to help keep the bit and the brick cool. Keeping things cool allowed the bit to dig into the brick and actually make progress. What a difference that made! So rather than taking 45 minutes to drill a hole (and use up a bit), it took 5 minutes tops per hole. Success!

I will post pics of the curtains later today. It adds some softness to the patio and makes it look inviting!

An Answer. But is it Our Final Answer?

Scott and I have been sleeping on the decision regarding Jack's schooling. I think we have come to a decision.

It has become apparent to me that I am not going to be able to provide the amount of DAILY social opportunities that the therapist would like Jack to have while homeschooling him. I have sought out different playgroups, and there seems to be two problems with them (well, not with the playgroups, but with the opportunity).

One problem is that most of the kids tend to be young; they are barely Jack's age or younger. One homeschool playgroup seemed to be used as a general playgroup, with the moms not really interested in homeschooling, or they were planning on homeschooling but weren't there age-wise. The second problem I found with the homeschool playgroups is that I am there. And if I'm present, then Jack doesn't leave my side if there are more than four kids in attendance. Which defeats the whole purpose of taking him to a playgroup. To really get Jack out of his comfort zone and push him to deal with his anxieties, he needs more interaction without me present. And there doesn't seem to be many options other than a traditional school setting.

The thought of sending Jack to an all day kindergarten class is terrifying. This is going to be difficult for him AND us. The counselor told us to give it a good five weeks before determining if it's working or helping Jack. Five weeks is a long time for both kid and parents to be potentially miserable! But God knows that it can be different. It may not be as difficult as I'm expecting. Jack may adjust well and like it. I'll just need to trust the Lord that we are making the right decision for now. Later, He may have us take a different direction (like bringing him back home).

Thanks to all of you who have prayed for us while we have been pondering this decision. It may not seem like a big deal to some, but for me, it's a pretty big deal. We are risking the progress we've made with Jack. We are risking Jack having a very negative attitude toward school and learning. We are risking Jack shutting down emotionally because of the stress. We are risking incidentally humiliating Jack (his potty issues and anxieties).

But we need to strike while the iron is hot (while Jack is young and still malleable). We need to start seeing some progress in the social arena soon or it will be harder to combat. So off to school he'll go.

I've put a call into the counselor at the school so that we (Jack and I) can walk around the kindergarten area while school is going on so that Jack can see what school will be like. Then the classroom will be familiar to him when he starts, presumably, next week.


-- Posted from my iPhone -- ain't technology grand?

Funny Jack Story

Jack had a little accident in his pants this afternoon. He's been doing pretty well recently, so this is the first accident I've had to clean up in a while. When I was preparing to de-pants and clean him, Jack looked at me and said,

"Well, at least God paid the penalty for our sins."

:)

Snappy Pickles

a new phrase has been born in our household: snappy pickles. it's the latest invention by Jack, used for when something doesn't go one's way. "Oh, snappy pickles!"

The phrase is copyrighted and trademarked. Please use at your own discretion.

School. I Pity the Fool

Just a quick post to let you know that school is going great! Cade is enjoying 2nd grade and is turning out to be a fantastic speller. He's also the Star Student of the Week in his class which is exciting!

Jack continues to do well is his school as well. We've begun the more academic portion of our studies; this week we're on the letter "s" and studying the sun. We're also studying how Jesus is the Light of the world.

Claire began mother's day out last week and is loving her school. Her best friend from last year is sadly not in her class this year. So I'm looking forward to hearing who she labels as her good friend for this year.

Neither Scott or I are in school right now (not including the School of Hard Knocks). Scott will eventually be taking classes at Dallas Theological Seminary, but we're unsure of when he'll start.

That is all for now. Enjoy the cooler weather (after 100+ degree days, 90 feels like a walk in the park). Stay thirst, my friends.

We Must Never Forget

Round 1. Still No Decision

We still haven't made a decision on the immediate future of Jack's schooling. We've decided to try and put off the decision for at least a week. We were feeling an irrational pressure to make a decision quick so that he could start at the local school next Monday. But we needn't be pressured into making the decision right this instant. There is nothing magical about Jack starting public school this coming Monday.

We are so blessed. We have a wonderful network of friends here that are a huge support to us. That was evident after I posted my last post (discussing the current predicament of Jack's schooling). Phone calls, emails, and Facebook messages came out of the woodwork with encouraging words, suggestions, and love. This life was not meant to be lived in isolation but in community. And I am so thankful that we are in a loving community!

So a SHOUT OUT to all of you who have offered kind words. I'll respond to all the messages. I promise!

Currently we are trying to weigh providing opportunities through playgroups and classes with putting Jack in public school. There are homeschool playgroups out there; whether or not they'll fit into our schedule or we like the parents & kids there will be another question.

W don't see public school as evil. Not at all. Cade goes to public school (at least for the time being). We just don't think it's the best education option out there. The school teachers are bound by the TAKS test and have to teach according to what will be on the test. Add to that the wretched student teacher ration of 22:1, and you have the opposite of an ideal learning environment. At home, there's a student teacher ration of 1:1 (that could go all the way up to 3:1 if I end up homeschooling all the kids) which means we can go however slow or fast we need to, depending on the child's abilities. We can also choose what we teach our kids, including studying God and a Christian worldview. Public school just isn't able to compete with that.

But the thought of putting Jack in public school is just frightening to me. I'm not an overly protective parent. I don't hover over them, making sure they never get hurt or have disappointments. But with Jack, I feel the need to be protective because he's got "special needs". He's physically behind his peers. He stutters and prolongates his words, which makes him difficult to understand sometimes. He's also got the potty training issue (the best way I can describe this issue is that he is unfamiliar with his body). And then there's the overwhelming anxiety that he deals with.

I don't want Jack to be made fun of. I don't want him to shut down and stop talking. I don't want him to feel like he is inferior because he sometimes can't physically keep up or do what other peers are doing.

But his therapist thinks that the peer pressure will be good for him. It will show him that certain behaviors aren't acceptable (peeing in your pants, for example). But there's those other things (the stuttering, being physically delayed, etc.) that he can't control. He can't do anything about those things, and I don't want him to be laughed at because of those problems. But I guess that's part of life, right? Having to deal with what other say to you, good or bad.

I am planning on taking Jack up to Cade's school next week and walking him around the kindergarten area. I want him to be able to see the rooms and the grade area in case we do decide to enroll him. There will be less unknowns if he at least knows where he'll be all day.

Please be in prayer with us. We seek God's wisdom (which will be given to us if we ask for it - James 1:5) and His desire.

The more things change...

Scott and I met with Jack's psychologist today. And we now have a decision to make.

It appears that keeping Jack out of school (where he would be around other kids all day, every day) and at home may not have been a good idea. Mrs. Katherine thinks that Jack needs more opportunities to socialize and interact with kids his own age or older (he still parallel plays at the age of 5 rather than interacting a bunch with other kids) to help with his development and his anxiety.

Currently, Jack has two, sometimes three, times a week that he is with other kids (other than his siblings of course). And those times are for 1.5-2 hours each. Contrast that amount of time with being in school everyday (approx 7 hours, 5 days a week).

*sigh*

We need to decide whether to continue homeschooling Jack or place him in public school.

I've enjoyed homeschooling Jack and was looking forward to getting into some of the more academic studies with Jack next week. To be honest, I have missed my "me" time that I was going to get on Tuesdays and Thursdays when Claire goes to school. It would be nice to have that time again.

We just want to make the best choice for Jack. It appears that sending him to school is the best choice. Or is it?



-- Posted from my iPhone -- ain't technology grand?

I Smell Football

Ahhhh. It's that time of year again. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The kids have gone back to school. And yeah, yeah, yeah. The 100+ degree days are most probably behind us. (can I get an "amen" on both of those accounts!?!) But that's not what I'm talking about.

Are you ready for some football?

Today marks the first Saturday of college football. And oh does it feel good to have ESPN on all day and have football in the background at our house. Not to mention the Horns won their first game, and we got to see Garrett Gilbert at the helm (I think he'll do quite well this year!)

But geez. We've got to be quick with the remote. I can't believe some of the ads they allow on TV during the day. I mean, we're trying to brainwash our children (like any good parent) into adoring the Longhorns. And we've got to dodge erectile dysfunction commercials. And beer commercials where scantily clad women are seductively trying to entice you to buy their beverage. And previews of the latest M. Night Shamalyan movie. (I'm pretty sure I just misspelled his name) Thankfully we have DVR we can pause and then fast forward through the offensive ads. But we have to really be on our guard when we've got the TV on. It's just ridiculous!

OK. I'm off the soap box now. What was the purpose of this post? Oh yeah. A violent sport where men are fighting over an oblong ball. Oh how I love thee!

School

Claire joined Jack and I this morning at school. Jack was working on making a "3" because we were studying the third day of creation.


Claire? She was drawing a picture of me.






-- Posted from my iPhone -- ain't technology grand?

General craziness

I came upstairs yesterday to find the following:













-- Posted from my iPhone -- ain't technology grand?