Some updates.......

First of all, let me say thank you to all you fellow bloggers who have commented on my last three posts! I have been meaning to get back on here and post some responses but it has been super busy around here.



I guess I will update you all on everything. Concerning Ethan, we had his IEP meeting the 15th, and let his school know about the Dr wanting us to try medication. They were surprised, almost shocked! I must have misunderstood when they told me he was having trouble transitioning, or something. Its not as bad as I first thought and told the Dr. In fact, they said he is the sweetest, most pleasant kindergartner they have and his meltdowns/transition issues have gotten much better. Usually they are able to calm him within a few moments and he just has some so-called difficulty sitting still and quietly during group time. Really not a big deal! So this is great news. We are NOT putting him on medication. Also when we told them that we are moving and it will be out of district, they were so sad! The teachers all said how much they are going to miss him, and hope that he stays as long as possible. At his IEP meeting, we also discussed sensory problems they feel Ethan has. We have added occupational therapy(OT) to his plan. He gets 80 minutes a month, basically just to help with some touch and hearing sensory problems, although they feel he has weak upper body strength and that is why he has a tendency to slouch?! This surprised me but OK. Also when writing and coloring(mainly coloring) he has a tendency to put his head down on the table. Ethan doesn't really enjoy coloring and when he writes he doesn't like to write in all capitals, which is the way they are currently teaching him. *I think* he's bored and that's why he does it. I watched him do some homework the other day which was to color a turkey and halfway through, he said "I'm tired, I'm done coloring, Mom." He wasn't tired, he just wanted to do something, anything other than coloring! When he writes, he likes to write the correct way, with capitals for the first word, names, etc. and lower case for the rest. He has a tendency to get upset about writing all caps. He's not trying to be difficult or lazy, he wants to do it the right way, LOL!

We are scheduled to close on our house on December 7th! Last night I went to a meeting at one of the two closest Catholic elementary schools. My sister-in-law goes there and is in 6th grade, Jason, his brother and their other sister all went there for a few years and we have been trying to decide if we want to send Ethan there. We have to make sure they will have the services he needs first. However, the 2 schools and parishes are going through some transitions right now, discerning their futures. They are either going to close this school and combine with the other at that site, restructure making one school PreK-4 and the other 5-8, make no changes(which isn't really an option, because of declining enrollment, between both schools there is only 320 students, 1 of the schools is PreK-8 and the other k-8) or this school and parish move a few miles west. The decision will probably affect the school by the 2008-2009 school year. So if we switch Ethan to this school, he would finish this year and then who knows for next year. I think for the time being we are going to put him in the local public elementary and just get him in PREP for religion. Other than that, we are so excited about the house. It needs some minor repairs, like the outlets downstairs are not grounded(not uncommon in houses as old as this, built in 1948), some minor plumbing repairs, like a new wax ring and tightened bolts on the toilet, and that's about it. We are getting windows put in and that is scheduled for mid-January. The house has radiators and a boiler, which is probably about 20 yrs old so may need replaced in the next five years but luckily we have our savings to do the boiler soon. The radiators just need some kind of cover for them. A general contractor came out to give us some quotes for some things and even said he can make some! He is going to be moving the washer and dryer from the kitchen/dining area out to the attached workshop area we are going to finish. Its going to be a laundry/mud room. Right now the washer and dryer area is in the kitchen next to the bathroom door and the area is only 51" wide, and our washer and dryer side by side touching are 55" so they would hang out into the bathroom(only bathroom) by 4"!!! and there is no place for a fridge so that would have to go over by the table. So moving the washer and dryer also gives us a place for the fridge! We also are contemplating, since the house is 1 1/2 stories on a basement(not finish-able, low ceiling, etc) and the back addition is one story with a crawl, then an attached workshop and garage, we are thinking of taking the upstairs and making it a full second story since there is some "attic/crawl" space and the contractor said it wouldn't be difficult at all. We may even extend it over the 1 story back part of the house and have 3 beds and a bath upstairs, or at least make the 2 beds bigger and add a second bath. But that will come down the road. For now, the kids will have the big room upstairs for their bedroom, smaller one (10x9) for a playroom, downstairs little one will be for an office area, and the big back room in the addition will be our master bedroom. I wish the kids bunk beds could be put together but the way the ceiling sits there is no way so they have to use them as separate twin beds for now, and that one room has no closet for clothes and no room for even one dresser! But the other room is perfect and the little one is plenty big enough for all their toys and things, especially since I got rid of a bunch of stuff!

Thanksgiving was great at both places. Saturday the boys stayed with Jason's parents and we were supposed to go to a movie but I opted to go home and sleep instead, LOL! I actually regret that now, as Jason is leaving on this Friday!!!!! I am so sad:( but I know he has to go so we can pay our bills and so we can buy our house and when he comes home for good, we will be okay for a while until he or I or both of us find jobs. We are so blessed to have a husband and father that is willing to travel so far away to take care of his family and that he even has a job at all! Well this has gotten extremely long, and I really should get off the computer and give the boys a bath this morning as its 10:30, LOL. Ethan has a late-start today, he only goes from 2-3:30, so we've been lounging around this morning.

I am going to try and get some pictures of the new house soon and post them on here.