School Days

Payton has finally gotten in the routine of going to school and I am no longer carrying her in kicking and screaming. She has a wonderful teacher this year and still has the same special ed teacher, but a different aide. I think 1st grade is really going well for her so far. It's becoming quite apparent this year that the students are quite a bit more mature than her, emotional wise she is still about on a level of a three year old (sometimes it feels like I have twins - but other times it feels as though koen has passed her) but amazingly the other children seem to sense it and want to take care of her.

Last week we were on a blood pressure roller coaster, but it seems to be doing better this week (YAY!). She has quite a nasty cough so I'm sure that's what was causing the increase. Funny enough, the bp usually increases before we see outward signs of an illness...then sure enough, she has a cold or something and that's why the bp is up.

This week we've had a heck of a time with Payton's hygiene in the bathroom. At home I don't let her go by herself (unless of course she sneaks away from me and gets in there without me - in which case I usually have a huge mess to clean up). The past two days she's done the same thing at school. She has had quite the smearing contest all over herself and I've had to take her different clothes (she even had it in her hair!). Anyways, I believe the problem lies with the prolapse. She has that sensation when it comes out that she still needs to go to the bathroom so she is trying to 'help' it out with her hands. It's just been a mess - and I feel sorry for the nurse and janitor for having to clean it up. I've got a call in to the doctor to see where we go from here - I feel sorry for her having to feel that all the time....but without a major surgery there's really not much we can do I don't think. It sure makes Bob and I uneasy though.

Payton's been working really hard on her writing - she still has issues with her letters; one letter may be giant, while the next one is small and the letters will never be within the lines. I know most of it is her visual spatial difficulties, but she's working and listening to instruction on it, so that's a plus! She's also trying to learn to read. Bob and I have been so proud of her....even with her ADD she is able to be kept on task for a short amount of time :) Because we've been working with Payton so much, Koen wants to work on it all the time. I've got polar opposites. Koen wants to learn and Payton could care less. It's quite comical to see Payton try to wiggle her way out of going to school :)

After school my dad (or her cousin, Tanner) keeps Payton. This way she can at least be home or at her aunt's house to re-group-which is oh so important for her. She's managed to do some destruction (paint my piano keys with a green marker - three lines up and down them) and paint herself with nail polish - but it's nothing that can't be cleaned up. We still have to watch the girl 24/7 or she will get into something. I've just decided because she has no clue how to play unless someone is 'showing' her how to play or entertaining her, that's just how she entertains herself. I've learned to laugh it off at the end of the day!

Koen is growing by leaps and bounds and loving all the football games. He has so much fun watching the games and playing with the boys older than him in the end zone-it really is a joy to watch him play so care free.....the things we don't take for granted anymore :)

Here is a wonderful blogpost from Teresa on inclusion. Although it's easy for me to say things are going well for Payton in school, it really is a trying and exhausting time. I thought Teresa did a great job walking thru the emotions: http://claresjourney.blogspot.com/2010/09/mainstreaming-is-not-for-wimps.html