October 1, 2018
Blogging in the 31 For 21 Challenge to bring Awareness and Acceptance for Down Syndrome
Hi all... I’m back!
Yes, it’s that time of year where I dust off the keyboard and jump back into trying to give you all a small snapshot into the daily living that happens inside this family. It looks like your family, and his and hers - moments jumbled with a semblance of order - all of it looking like controlled chaos on the good days; uncontrolled on most. Still, it’s life and it happens here and happens with the inclusion of one extra chromosome.
There have been so many changes in the last year that keeping up proved way tougher than being able to write it down. We lost a rabbit and gained a kitten (because we are insane), Bradley turned eight, Sydney turned 14, Madison turned 16, and if mom could turn grey - she would have. At sixteen, Madison was eligible and ready to get her license and gain more freedom; in exchange, she is the much needed third driver in our house. Apparently, all her anxiety melted the day she drove off to school - weird correlation actually, that’s the same day that mine exponentially expanded to huge proportions. I know, strange that. And if she isn’t busy working the grey into my hair, the fourteen year old became eligible for High School and High School Volleyball, so she’s definitely helping In true Sydney fashion, she worked her humor and her brain together to finagle her way through the politics proving herself a much needed Switzerland between the different cliques of girls. She managed to get a mild concussion and make the team on the same day. As her parents, we didn’t believe it until the day she wore a jersey and actually stepped onto the court during a game...then it was both elating and painful. Love watching her play, sad for her sister but always reminding ourselves there are reasons for everything and just choose to thoroughly enjoy whatever area Madison chooses to delve into.
My junior and my freshman drive off to school together everyday. Yes, you read that right, together. Sydney recognizes her own kryptonite and knew the odds of her getting to school on time we’re little to none and so chose to stay at the same school as her sister.
And then there is our little guy. This year marked the beginning of so many new things that it has been a stressful few months. The best part is that he is riding the bus to school. And when I say the best part, it’s his best part. He loves riding the bus. No really, he LOVES riding the bus. His problems occur once he gets to school and he has to stay there. He would be perfectly content to ride the bus back and forth all day, the rest is stressful and how do they like to put it, “unpreferred.” The bus is great for him, he gets off the bus and walks into the first classroom which is excellent because he does not pass his classroom from last year. Not sure he would keep walking if he had to pass it every morning coming to school, he was pretty happy there. The good news is he’s doing it. Doing the bus and going into his classroom...everyday.
Change is not Bradley’s friend and that tends to rear up and bite us on the shorts now and again, but we know this about him and if we can get his new teachers to listen on this topic, we might really start to get somewhere. Time will tell for sure! For now, we are getting all those behaviors that we spent two hours every Thursday for nine months eradicating: back. I’m frustrated, Bradley is frustrated, and I am sure his teachers are too. But here’s the thing, because I don’t drop him at school anymore, I don’t get that teacher contact to address immediate issues and nip them in the bud...I get information in a book at the end of the day and I respond and we brainstorm and the behaviors deepen as we work through them. Eric and I agreed to the bus because we thought two things: 1. It would foster his independence. And it really, really does, so that’s great. 2. They wouldn’t be able or willing to provide a bus aide that is specific to Bradley’s needs. I underestimated the principal and his strong desire to remove any interaction between parents and teachers. I would have been the only parent dropping off and picking up a kiddo in that classroom, but now Bradley rides the bus and I go weeks without seeing his teacher eye to eye. So I ask for conferences to sit and talk about Bradley. Take that Principal! 😏
We meet next week for the Assistive Technology Assessment review that was performed in September. I was backed by his Speech teacher so getting this review was not difficult, it just took time. My concern is that Bradley can not communicate with very many people... mom, a signing teacher, and usually dad and Madison. In an emergency, he cannot express his needs to anyone... scares me to death. So, next week we start down a new path where the changes might prove more beneficial for Bradley, more communication less frustration. Crossing fingers as I type, no easy task for sure. My thinking is that most people are more accepting when one can sommunicate in some way right? Here’s hoping...and what a great month to start in!
So, join me on this month’s journey, one small adventure after another as our family navigates the constant ups and downs of life and somehow manage to come through it all together.
Until tomorrow. 😉.
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