Water Day on the last day of school

Yesterday was Kyle's last day of school.  As I dropped him off at his class, I realized he was already used to going to school again.  He didn't seem as nervous as last week.  Yesterday was "water day" so they had a few inflatable pools for the kids.  I also packed Kyle's backpack with swim trunks (second hand from my youngest cousins), a towel, and a change of clothes.  As soon as he arrived at school, his teacher changed him into his swim trunks because they were going to go outside to play in the water soon after breakfast! 

When it came time to pick him up, the teachers said he played in the water (which I figured)!  Kyle loves water!  It sounds like he had fun!  When I arrived, his class was eating lunch and watching Finding Nemo! 

Fungus Gnats!

Ever since we moved here, my houseplants have had fungus gnats!  They are crawling around in the soil too.  I tried letting my plants dry out between waterings and it seems they are still there.  I finally got tired of sitting there trying to catch the flying gnats with the vacuum hose and bought some organic insecticidal spray soap stuff.  It kills many other bugs but I think it will help with the gnats!  When I was looking for a solution, I wanted something safe to use around Kyle as well as us.  I don't want to pollute the air we breathe and it's safe enough to use on vegetable gardens.  Earlier this week, I tried having small containers of water with a little bit of dish soap mixed in and that caught at least 20 gnats!  Hopefully the organic insecticidal spray soap will work. 

Kyle had preschool today.  He went from 8:30am until 12pm today, so he stayed through lunch.  It sounds like he did better today!  He acts like he doesn't want me to leave but once he's preoccupied, I can leave and he's fine!  He has school for the rest of this week as well. 

We went grocery shopping at Walmart this afternoon.   I am going to try to use coupons to help us save money.  We have a Walgreens about 2 blocks from us so I am slowly building up my coupons and printing them out online.  I am focusing on non-food items for now such as paper towels, toilet paper, toothbrushes, and toothpaste.  I am going to try to follow the Walgreens ad and match my coupons with their sales to help us save more.  I did have to buy paper towels and spray n wash today since we are almost out of paper towels and I really needed spray n wash! 

I finally received another book to read and review!  I've been bored for the last week so now I'll have something to do! 

Day 2 of 5 = School

Kyle's second day of school went well!  His teacher gave me the information about the summer program and when I looked at the contact name, I noticed he had the same last name as Kyle's teacher: Sheffield.  I thought they may be related but didn't want to assume anything.  When we got home from dropping him off at school, I quickly sent him an email and about a half hour later he called.  I let it go to voicemail and decided to call him back after we picked up Kyle. 

When I called him back, he told me that he is married to Ms. Sheffield (Kyle's teacher)!  I believe "things happen for a reason" and Kyle was assigned to her class for a reason.  She is the one who recommended this program for Kyle and I think this would be really good for him and for us.  This place offers us some alone/quiet time while he is taken care of.  I think without her recommendation, we would have never found this place.  Mr. Sheffield told me that the program is paid for by Medicaid through the "CAP" program, which we would have to apply for separately.  I guess that can take a few weeks to actually get approved.  I called the contact person and she is out of the office on Friday and Monday and will return Tuesday.  I made an appointment with Mr. Sheffield so that we could see the place and take a tour.  We will also try to fill out some paperwork while we are there.  Shannon looked up the place online and found out that it's not too far from us. 

Day 1 of 5 = School

Kyle had his first day of preschool at the new school!  The teacher said there is only 5 days left of the school year and she voiced her concerns that there isn't enough time to acclimate him to their routine/schedule, but that she trusts the parents to make that decision.  We decided to start today and tomorrow as a "half day," meaning he would go from 8:20am until 10:30am. 

When we went to pick him up, I could tell the teacher was concerned that there is no language (which we are well aware of).  I think she was surprised!  I told her that he was in speech and occupational therapy and she would refer us to a speech therapist and an occupational therapist.  She also mentioned a "summer program" for children with special needs that Kyle would qualify for and it would be free of charge!  They also have beds so if they kids wanted to stay overnight, they could.  They can pet animals and ride horses, which I think Kyle would eventually like to do!  He especially likes to let animals lick him on the face! 

I like that we are now living in a "big city" because there seems to be more services available for Kyle. 

Bored = Driving around or Grocery Trips

Today we went to the Preschool office to enroll Kyle for the rest of the school year, which apparently is only a week and a half left.  Preschool lets out next Tuesday.  He will go on Thursday and Friday of this week and hopefully Monday and Tuesday of next week.  He couldn't start tomorrow because they are going on a field trip! 

We also set up a "transition meeting" which allows us to meet with the school representatives to set him up for Kindergarten. 

On our way home, we found the school he will be attending for 4 days.  We will be transporting Kyle to and from school just because it would take 10 days just to set up the bus schedule. 

We also needed a few things, so we went to Harris Teeter just before going home.  Harris Teeter is a grocery store that is open 24 hours a day!  I also signed up for their "savings club card" just so we can save on their sales and specials they have every week!  Shannon and I really like that store and Kyle seems to like it too because they had balloons at the registers and on several displays.  They have a lot of organic fruits and vegetables and other food products!  Another thing we liked about the store is that they have a few more varieties of greek yogurt and they also carry sushi! 

Post Office and Food Lion

Today marked my one month anniversary since starting my new workout program, Turbo Fire!  So far, I am happy with the results and I can't wait to see what month 2 will bring. 

Kyle's class will be starting a garden!  It sounds like a lot of fun for him to be able to play in dirt! 

After Kyle got home from school, Shannon dropped us off at the grocery store (Food Lion) while he went to the Post Office!  I bought some fresh fruit and vegetables and other things we were running out of.  I also bought hot dogs for Kyle since he loves them so much!  I also bought some nutella since I heard it was really good.  I tried some with grapes and it was so good!  I'll have to try it with other fruits! 

Ringworms?

We kept Kyle home from school yesterday because he still wasn't looking or feeling good.  We sent him to school today and he made it through the day.  For the last 2 weeks or so, Kyle has had a little red splotch on his left cheek.  I thought it may be an eczema breakout.  Kyle's teacher called to let us know that Kyle may have ringworms because there is another student in his class that has it and is currently being treated for it.  She said that we just need to use a product called "lamisil" which is over-the-counter anti-fungal cream. 

After we picked Kyle up from the bus stop, we went straight to CVS to buy some lamisil.  I bought the store brand.  Then we went next door to CVS to a grocery store to pick up a few things. 

This morning, while Kyle was in school, Shannon and I ran a few errands and then we had breakfast at Cracker Barrel!  It was nice to "get out" together and have some alone time. 

He's not feeling well

Last night, Kyle started feeling warm to the touch!  He was feeling a little too hot, but we never took his temperature.  He was definitely looking sick when he climbed into bed to go to sleep.  He slept until around 11pm when he woke up and just wanted to sit up and watch cartoons.  By that time, I went to sleep and let him watch tv.  I had a hard time falling asleep though, but I did take a long nap earlier in the afternoon. 

Kyle wasn't looking that good this morning.  For a bit in the afternoon, he actually looked a little better but a few hours later, he wasn't looking good again.  I ended up canceling his therapy session for tomorrow.  I am hoping he'll be able to go to school on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday! 

Shopping

My MIL and I went shopping yesterday!  Since Kyle was at school, Shannon had to pick up Kyle from the bus stop.  Kyle was a happy little boy as usual when he got off the bus.  When they got home, Kyle ran upstairs and ran into our bedroom and said "mom" and put his head down on the bed.  He started crying/whining for me.  Shannon had to comfort him and play this video for him:



My MIL and I first went to Lowe's, since she wanted to look at their shower heads that has a filter in it.  She ended up buying a shower head she liked and a few extra filters.  On the way, we went through the Garden Center and looked at the plants.  They have such a huge selection!  Then we headed over to JC Penney's where I bought two tops that were on clearance for $2.97 each and a beige shell-type jacket that was also on clearance! 

Preschool and Groceries

Kyle woke up this morning at around 4:30AM or so, which meant I was "up" too.  I turned on the TV for him so he could watch his cartoons.  Meanwhile, I snoozed as long as I could.  When I got up and started getting ready, I also grabbed his socks and Kyle didn't like that.  He knows that when I grab his socks, it means he's going to school and as far as he knew, it was a school day.  He is so used to his usual routine, he knew that it wasn't a school day.  Since he was going to have a tantrum, I had to ease him into the idea of getting ready for school, and it worked!

While Kyle was at school, Shannon and I went to Walmart to get our groceries.  It's nice for us to "get out" without Kyle every once in awhile.  It's a little easier to shop without him because he wants us to walk together, and if one of us leaves to go look at something, he has something to say about it.  Shannon was going to get a new computer game but decided against it.  I bought some purple lined paper to use for writing letters.  I am just glad to have food again, since the last time we went, I only shopped for about a week's worth of food. 

New week, new schedule

Kyle starts this week with a different school schedule and different therapy date!  He is now off from school on Monday and Tuesdays.  His therapy has been switched to Tuesday afternoons.  He now attends school on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday!  I don't think Kyle will notice the difference but I am making sure I remember his new schedule!  We now have to plan our life around his new schedule! 

Schedule Changes

We received a letter from Kyle's school saying that they are doing some changes and Kyle would be moved to the other preschool class (the same class and teacher he had last year).  We think this was stemmed from me talking to his teacher.  His teacher was calling us every other week or at least once a week asking us if Kyle was okay, or wasn't feeling well, etc.  In other words, she was wanting us to come pick him up without asking us to pick him up.  It started to get annoying having to sit by the phone waiting for his teacher to call.  A few weeks ago, I asked his teacher is there was a way to have another teacher assistant just for him for the extra help he needs.  She understood what I was asking and she advised me to call the main Exceptional Children's coordinator for the school district.  His teacher said it would mean more if a parent were to call, rather than his teacher.  I called them later that week and was told that this would be up to the people who were above her to decide.  Well, the next week, we get notice that they were putting Kyle in his previous preschool class.  We are actually happy about this since this teacher is a mom and she is very loving! 

I received a call from Kyle's teacher today just letting me know that they made the change and Kyle is still adjusting to the change but he's doing good.  She also wanted to change his school schedule to where he would attend Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (instead of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday).  She said there are less kids on Friday, plus they go to the cafeteria and the library on Fridays.  She also wants to show him how to get his own tray and food in the cafeteria to get him ready for Kindergarten!  His new school schedule will start next week.

Since he will no attend school on Thursdays, that meant I had to reschedule his therapy appointments.  I called and was able to change his therapy to Tuesday mornings!  He will start that next Tuesday as well.  His appointments are at 11am now.  He will still receive Occupational and Speech Therapy! 

We have groceries!

We went to Walmart for groceries today while Kyle was in school.  We went a little crazy and bought a lot of food.  We bought two frozen pizzas, ingredients to make burritos, and our other usual foods!  I also bought some foods specifically for Kyle when he gets home from school. 

Kyle has an early release day tomorrow, so he'll get out of school at 11am.

Loving

Kyle came home from preschool with the following message from his teacher:

Each day he's at school, the teacher writes a short message about how his day went. This one is by far the cutest!!!! 

Kyle just loves school and loves riding the bus!   He's become more verbal these last few days.  He's making more noises and trying to imitate a few words that we ask him to say.  He'll say the words that he already knows and loves making sound effects. 

Bag of food!

Kyle came home from school with a heavy backpack.  When we got home, I opened it up to find a plastic bag full of food along with the following note:

The food ranged from snacks and a drink, all for Kyle!  I gave him a chocolate pudding cup and the drink for a snack when we got home. 

Back at Home

I've been back at home for about a week and a half, almost two weeks.  I still feel like I am getting used to our usual routine.  It's hard for me to get up early to get Kyle ready for school, I find myself snoozing longer. 

We had to pick Kyle up early from school on Wednesday!  His teacher called and said he's been acting up, he's kicking and hitting other kids.  I asked her if she wanted us to come pick him up and she said it's not her decision to make, in other words, it would be our call (as his parents).  So I told her we wouldn't.  After I got off the phone, Shannon and I talked and decided we should go pick him up and I called her back to let her know that we'd come get him. 

Kyle hasn't been to therapy in the last two weeks.  We skipped two weeks ago because I had just returned home the day before and we skipped last week because the heater in our car is not working.  His appointments are in the early morning! 

Update from his new teacher

We received a call from Kyle's new teacher this morning.  Last week, he switched to the other preschool class with more students.  She wanted to give us an update on Kyle and also a schedule change.  She said he walks in a line without needing assistance or being reminded to do so.  When he gets off the bus, he walks next to the teacher and this morning he tried to reach for her hand and she told him he had to walk on his own, which he did!  He tried to feed the fish this morning and she said "apparently that didn't work out too well."  LOL  I happen to call the teacher back during nap time, she said they have music playing and it had whistling in it and Kyle started whistling too!  He will also stay on his cot but he won't take a nap.  It sounds like all the kids love playing with him and talking to him.  I am glad he is able to hear all the kids his age talking!!!!

Also, every Wednesday is early release day for his class.  He will now be getting out of school early on Wednesday at 11am and we have to pick him up, but the bus will still take him to school that morning. 

The temperatures suddenly dropped this morning because it was 47 degrees.  I tried putting Kyle's jacket on him and he refused it, so I put it in his backpack.  I wore a jacket outside and he still didn't want to put his on even though I tried 3 times while we were outside.  He was shivering and his teeth were chattering and he still didn't want his jacket on.  I don't even know if his jacket still fits him since I bought it last year. 

One day of school

Kyle was well enough to go to school today.  I think he could have gone yesterday but it was better to make sure he was feeling better.  He ended up missing Monday and Tuesday of this week, and only attended one day this week. 

We decided not to go to Kyle's therapy tomorrow due to the weather.  It's been raining and our tires are so old, Shannon doesn't feel comfortable driving in the rain with our tires.  The last time we had the tires changed was in 2004...yes, it's been 6 years since we bought new tires.  During those 6 years, the tires went through driving across the United States in 2007! 

I have been thinking about getting a soy candle starter kit!  I think I would really enjoy making soy candles!  Yesterday, I ended up buying two tart burners on facebook.  I went a little crazy and plus they were really cute!  Now I am considering making tarts for myself to see how that goes.  I have never burned tarts before, so I am really looking forward to trying it out.  It may be safer to use (no fire required to melt tarts), especially around Kyle! 

 

I have also been thinking about getting a small food processor.  I can use it when I make our homemade laundry detergent.  It would only take a few minutes to grate the soap if I use a food processor, rather than grate it by hand!  Also, there are a few recipes that I want to try, that require a food processor.  I found one I liked on amazon and Walmart!  I may buy it from amazon and save my gift cards to get it for free! 

Second time this school year

Kyle has been sick with a cold for the last 4 days or so.  It started out with a runny/stuffy nose for the first 2 days.  The third day it turned into a cough.  I can hear him wheezing a little too!  He had to stay home from school yesterday and we're going to keep him home again today.  I don't know if he caught this cold from school or his therapy!  He may have to miss this whole week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) of school and therapy on Thursday! 

In the meantime, we are still giving him his vitamins (he loves to take them).  He didn't eat much yesterday either.

This time around, Shannon and I haven't showed signs of catching this cold even though Kyle is coughing all over us!  LOL 

Trying something different

Kyle's preschool teacher called me on Friday afternoon and wanted to let me know that they are going to move him in the other preschool class.  There are more kids in that class and he'll be able to be around more boys and there will more opportunity for him to observe/hear other kids his age talking!  Plus he already knows the teachers and the kids in that class, they are also on the same schedule as far as "recess" time.  I asked his teacher if he will still receive speech therapy and she said that he would as he receives it twice a week.  The teacher said the speech therapist is really good, she gets down on the floor with the kids.  Plus he receives speech therapy at a separate location that is paid for by Medicaid.

His teacher also said he's a very happy boy this year.  I asked her if he's eating and drinking his milk and juice and she said yes!  She said he'll eat everything, which is surprising to me!  LOL  She said the kids are learning to open their own cartons of milk and juice.

I am really excited for him to be put in this classroom.  Since he doesn't have siblings, this will be a great way for him to see other kids talking.  He is already imitating other kids and us.  He's been learning how to do different exercises in occupational therapy and speech therapy.  His therapist says she only has to show him once or twice and after that he knows how to do it on his own.  For example, if she wants him to sit on the swing a certain way, all she has to do it show him once or twice and he will do it all by himself after that.