School!

Just wanted to update everyone that read the last post about Madeline beginning school this week. It's going really well. She's not crying when I drop her off and she's actually participating and sitting in circle time. Those are things that didn't happen at all last year. Well, sometimes in bits and pieces. It's really nice to see a preschool run by people that actually have a clue. Madeline has allergies to nuts and eggs and the first day a note was sent home to all the kids stating the the room was a "nut and egg free zone". Meaning the other kids can't bring things with those ingredients in either. PERFECT! People that actually know what they are doing. It's a breath of fresh air.

The only problem she had today was that she wanted to take home Braeden's backpack because it had Thomas the train on it! Those kind of issues I can handle :)

week in review

We've been here a whole week and it's been a bit of a whirlwind. I went from spending all the time locked in the house with tutors coming every two hours to driving all over creation to take Madeline to all sorts of places. I'm learning to plan in advance a little more. I have to get the bags and car ready with snacks and toys the night before so that I'm not sweating buckets in the morning trying to get us all out the door on time.

Madeline had three sessions of ABA with Jennifer this week and she said she did pretty well. A little spacey and quiet but better than I had expected. She hasn't been crying and throwing a fit when we walk up to the building like she did the first two times. She's willingly going in with Jennifer and saying goodbye to me. That's great for a first week.

She also started dance lessons on Saturday! :) I just went yesterday and picked up her tap shoes, leotard, tights and ballet slippers. It's so freaking cute I can hardly stand it. Madeline's OT (occupational therapist) at school is a dance instructor and she teaches classes specifically for children with special needs. Of course, the first session was a bit chaotic but Madeline really loved the room. All those mirrors! :) Madeline is in the class with two other little girls. They are a little bit older than her (5 and 6, I think) and have done the class for over a year so she'll have some good role models. It's every Saturday so that should be fun.

Preschool starts tomorrow. We went on Thursday and met the teachers and therapists and they all seem great. I'm really excited for her to start. Hopefully she'll be happy, I'm trying to think positively about it and make it sound fun when I talk to her. I don't want her to hear the anxiety in my voice. Her cousin Ryan keeps telling her that her school has the best playground! :)

Jon just left today for Texas. He'll be there for two weeks. We're hoping to get into a house quickly after he gets home.

Send Madeline good vibes for her first day at preschool!! :)

Here we go!

This summer has flown by...

We are heading out tomorrow morning for mom's house. Madeline has sessions 3 days this week and then starts preschool next Monday. We get to go and meet her new teacher on Thursday afternoon.

This is where a little more of the anxiety picks up, probably mostly for me. School isn't Madeline's favorite but she needs to go so we'll make her think it's the most exciting place on the planet. Who knows, maybe it will be :)

Here our a couple pictures of the girls with the moving boxes.

Packing!

I really hate packing! It's such a crazy process I barely know where to start.

Last week we were up in Seattle for Madeline's intake meeting and her first official session with her new ABA consultant. It was both sad and exciting at the same time. We are going to miss Audra dearly but we're really hopeful that she'll keep Madeline in her schedule as often as possible.

Madeline wasn't too sure about the new place at first. She cried when we first got there for awhile. It looks a little like a doctors office and those aren't her favorite places. I kept thinking how the space needed a major overhaul of paint and decor but I assume they keep it very bland because lots of kids have sensory issues and fun colors and pictures might be sensory overload.

I really like Jennifer, Madeline's new consultant. She has a dog named Aurthur that she brings in with her everyday. Madeline was interested in the dog, but only for a few minutes. Hopefully they'll become friends. Jennifer knows she has her work cut out for her, I hope she's ready.

Madeline is 4!

Wow, I can barely believe it. Four years ago we were watching the summer olympics in a hospital room and Jon and I were talking about how the next time the summer olympics came around Madeline would be 4. It was so crazy to think of that looking at a tiny, day old baby girl but here it is. We have been through an amazing journey in the last 4 years. I can't even imagine what life will be like during the NEXT summer olympics :)

Hopefully no one got their feelings hurt for not getting an invite to a birthday party. Madeline's not a big fan of crowds so we only had a couple people over for cupcakes. I figure it's her birthday she should get to have a good time.

We are still in the house hunting process. We've just recently rented our home in Vancouver for a year. Hopefully this means we can sell it next year and not lose a ton of money on it.

School starts Sept 8th so we'll be in Seattle then for sure. Next week is Madeline's first meetings and appts at NBA which is her new ABA tutoring place. Audra is going up with us for the initial consulation and meeting to make sure the new consulatant gets all the details on Madeline. We've also been video taping sessions with tutors so that they can see how she works.

Hopefully we'll be able to find a house and close soon so that we won't have to live in mom's basement too long. :)