Yesterday (Wednesday) was not a great day. Jeff managed to get Henry an ENT appointment b/c Henry had been complaining about his ears hurting. Unfortunately, his ENT was working at his East side office, which is on the other side of the city from where we live.
On Tuesday, the late afternoon teacher Marisa had said that Miss Stephanie had reported that Henry had been aggressive with the other kids all day. This was a concern to us in part b/c he mentioned to me the other day how another kid hits him. Plus, I've seen a couple of the girls be super aggressive with each other. Anyway, Jeff and I wondered if Henry's ear problems were causing his poor behavior. For example, he was SUPER whiny in Oregon. Little did we know at the time that he had a major ear infection.
I picked up the kids in the afternoon on Wednesday. There was a "report" waiting for me at the front desk. Apparently, Henry scratched another kid. It sounded as though they didn't see Henry do it, but he'd been sitting next to the child and then the child was found with a scratch on his face. I talked with Henry's teachers. They said that he hasn't been acting like himself for a couple weeks. He randomly bopped some kid on the head the day before for no reason. And, he tried to stick pieces of corn into his own ears. When we got home, Jeff hopped into the car and took Henry to the ENT. I stayed home with Miss R.
Henry had a good time in the waiting room. He met several kids there. He had fun with the wire toys. Jeff and Henry waited there awhile as the staff tried to fit Henry into the already full schedule. Long story short, his ears look good. No problems observed by the ENT. Dr. Dean told Jeff that Henry's sensory experience is probably quite different from his pre-tube experience b/c he can hear now w/o the sound being muffled. I suppose that was good news, except it also means that there's no easy fix to Henry's supposed behavioral issues.
On the way back home, Jeff took First Ave heading toward Wetmore, on which resides the restaurant Sweet Tomatoes. We rarely drive on First Ave with the kids except when going from the UofA to my parents' house. We haven't spent much time at the UofA this fall (once?) with the kids for weekend breakfasts. Jeff turned onto Wetmore. When he was a block from Sweet Tomatoes (too far to actually see the restaurant), Henry announced "Sweet Tomatoes!" Bizarre. He truly has an uncanny sense of geography.
Jeff picked up food from Jason's Deli. He and Henry visited Toys R Us while they waited for the food. The kids had a good dinner. Play time. Bath. Teeth. Bed.
On Thursday morning, I had a talk with Miss Stephanie. I was concerned about the so-called aggressive behavior. Whereas the previous day, I came away with the impression that something was wrong. I came away from this morning's conversation with the understanding that he was exhibiting behavior that was typical for his age. While I was talking to her, I witnessed a boy try to take a toy away from Henry, but Henry held his ground and didn't hit the kid who was in his face. The boy was pretty upset at not being able to steal the toy away. I told Miss Stephanie that I was concerned over the comments from the previous day. She said that kids sometimes act out more at school b/c the teachers are limited in how they "punish" the kids (e.g., they don't do timeouts).
In the afternoon, Grammy and Poppy picked up the kids. The kids had had a good day. When they got home, we played in the train room. Read books. Teeth and bed.
I'm very much looking forward to our trip on Saturday. I think that we are going to have a great time.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Two Events: Case Transfer and IEP
On Monday, the kids went over to Grammy and Poppy's house after school. I had a busy day of meetings at school. Jeff and I met up at the Oracle View and saw "District 9." Then, Jeff got the kids.
On Tuesday, I took the kids to school in the morning and rushed back to make a webinar at 9AM. Jeff and I went to meet with a person from the school system about Henry's entrance into their program. She had us fill out forms and explained their services. At age 3, kids are discharged from "early intervention" and the school system takes over the services.
Our son's developmental coordinator was there with results from a test that she did over the telephone with me. I wasn't keen on the test b/c it wanted yes/no responses, where half the time I felt "sometimes" was the correct answer.
I told the school district person that our concerns were primarily fine and gross motor oriented. The most pressing concerns are the continued toe-walking and holding of the right arm into the body when running.
The EI coordinator basically said that he was fine (around 50th percentile in most areas). Look at the yes/no test. Blah, blah, blah. The school district person told her that the test she had used was unreliable, especially with gross and fine motor skills.
Long story short, we have to get his hearing tested and we have to have the opthamalogist send the eye report. Once received, Lisa, the school district person, will schedule a 1.5 hour evaluation with their on-site PT, OT, and ST. Had we known that we needed the reports, we would have copied the eye exam from November. Per the EI coordinator's directions (which didn't mention the hearing or eye exams needed), we brought his birth certificate, proof of residency, and vaccination records. Turns out Lisa didn't need all of that until he is officially in their system.
We've been trying to get an OT evaluation for the past 6 weeks through our son's former OT, but her office isn't returning calls in a timely fashion. I've been leaving messages. They don't pick up their telephone. The OT's office finally got ahold of the EI coordinator to make sure that the state would pay for the exam. But the person from the OT's office insisted that we wanted a feeding evaluation, which confused the heck out of the EI coordinator, who really doesn't know Henry well. I was floored. Where did the person get that from? The OT's office was under the impression that Henry had serious feeding issues (he doesn't...that was 2 years ago; we just need a fine motor exam) and yet they've been dragging their feet making an appointment. What the heck? If a child was having serious feeding issues, wouldn't it make sense to call the parents right away? Geez. I mean, thank goodness that our son doesn't have those issues now, but I'm still frustrated that this is how "the system" works. What happens to kids whose parents aren't as proactive as we are? Do the kids just starve while the OT's office staff just sit on their behinds? I'm so disappointed in the OT's office that we decided to have the school district do the OT evaluation. Besides, it will give us a chance to have someone evaluate Henry with fresh eyes.
The school district person was very focused on speech. It truly isn't a concern of ours, which surprised her. She said that almost all of the kids that they see have speech issues. Based on their rules, he'll have to have an ST evaluation, which he hasn't had since 9-10 months adjusted. We think that he's ahead on speech, but our parental goggles could probably use a cleaning.
In order to qualify for the program, he has to be "delayed" in 2 areas. Given our specific concerns, I walked out of the meeting telling Jeff that Henry isn't going to qualify. I doubt that they will consider his issues enough of a concern to be in the program. He toe walks, but he can walk. He holds his arm in an unique way, but he *can* use both sides. He has some issue undressing (e.g. can't take off shirt consistently, doesn't take off socks by himself).
My biggest general concern is that I want to make sure that if he were to develop other issues down the road, he'd be able to get into the program. I reiterated that there was empirical evidence to suggest that micropreemie problems (or VLBW problems in general) often don't rear their ugly heads until later. The school district person seemed sensitive to that concern. Her eyes popped a bit when she saw the birth weight at 570 grams. She implied that evaluations could also be done later if there was a need. So that was good.
After the meeting, Jeff and I went to lunch and then did some Christmas shopping. We picked up Henry at school. Miss Marisa told Jeff that Miss Stephanie had reported that Henry was aggressive today (pushing and shoving). I believe that Marisa doesn't watch Henry's class until 3:30PM. She said that she hadn't witnessed any problems. In the car, Henry said that his ears hurt and he stuck his fingers in his ears. We were wondering if that spurred his bad temper. He could also be learning from others. I've noticed that a couple kids in his class are hitters.
Miss R arrived home shortly after we did. She was happy to see us. No problems there.
Today makes the official transfer date of Miss R's case from CPS to St. Nicholas. We haven't heard anything, but I suspect that a case manager hasn't been assigned yet.
Henry and Miss R didn't eat much at dinner. Henry wanted to finish watching Treasure Island. He liked the scene where the pirates are chasing young Jim. Henry landed in timeout three times. He tried to hit Miss R. After being in timeout, he tried to take an unopen snack from her. He was just not in a good frame of mind.
Miss R and I talked with Aunt Carolyn. Then it was teeth and bed.
On Tuesday, I took the kids to school in the morning and rushed back to make a webinar at 9AM. Jeff and I went to meet with a person from the school system about Henry's entrance into their program. She had us fill out forms and explained their services. At age 3, kids are discharged from "early intervention" and the school system takes over the services.
Our son's developmental coordinator was there with results from a test that she did over the telephone with me. I wasn't keen on the test b/c it wanted yes/no responses, where half the time I felt "sometimes" was the correct answer.
I told the school district person that our concerns were primarily fine and gross motor oriented. The most pressing concerns are the continued toe-walking and holding of the right arm into the body when running.
The EI coordinator basically said that he was fine (around 50th percentile in most areas). Look at the yes/no test. Blah, blah, blah. The school district person told her that the test she had used was unreliable, especially with gross and fine motor skills.
Long story short, we have to get his hearing tested and we have to have the opthamalogist send the eye report. Once received, Lisa, the school district person, will schedule a 1.5 hour evaluation with their on-site PT, OT, and ST. Had we known that we needed the reports, we would have copied the eye exam from November. Per the EI coordinator's directions (which didn't mention the hearing or eye exams needed), we brought his birth certificate, proof of residency, and vaccination records. Turns out Lisa didn't need all of that until he is officially in their system.
We've been trying to get an OT evaluation for the past 6 weeks through our son's former OT, but her office isn't returning calls in a timely fashion. I've been leaving messages. They don't pick up their telephone. The OT's office finally got ahold of the EI coordinator to make sure that the state would pay for the exam. But the person from the OT's office insisted that we wanted a feeding evaluation, which confused the heck out of the EI coordinator, who really doesn't know Henry well. I was floored. Where did the person get that from? The OT's office was under the impression that Henry had serious feeding issues (he doesn't...that was 2 years ago; we just need a fine motor exam) and yet they've been dragging their feet making an appointment. What the heck? If a child was having serious feeding issues, wouldn't it make sense to call the parents right away? Geez. I mean, thank goodness that our son doesn't have those issues now, but I'm still frustrated that this is how "the system" works. What happens to kids whose parents aren't as proactive as we are? Do the kids just starve while the OT's office staff just sit on their behinds? I'm so disappointed in the OT's office that we decided to have the school district do the OT evaluation. Besides, it will give us a chance to have someone evaluate Henry with fresh eyes.
The school district person was very focused on speech. It truly isn't a concern of ours, which surprised her. She said that almost all of the kids that they see have speech issues. Based on their rules, he'll have to have an ST evaluation, which he hasn't had since 9-10 months adjusted. We think that he's ahead on speech, but our parental goggles could probably use a cleaning.
In order to qualify for the program, he has to be "delayed" in 2 areas. Given our specific concerns, I walked out of the meeting telling Jeff that Henry isn't going to qualify. I doubt that they will consider his issues enough of a concern to be in the program. He toe walks, but he can walk. He holds his arm in an unique way, but he *can* use both sides. He has some issue undressing (e.g. can't take off shirt consistently, doesn't take off socks by himself).
My biggest general concern is that I want to make sure that if he were to develop other issues down the road, he'd be able to get into the program. I reiterated that there was empirical evidence to suggest that micropreemie problems (or VLBW problems in general) often don't rear their ugly heads until later. The school district person seemed sensitive to that concern. Her eyes popped a bit when she saw the birth weight at 570 grams. She implied that evaluations could also be done later if there was a need. So that was good.
After the meeting, Jeff and I went to lunch and then did some Christmas shopping. We picked up Henry at school. Miss Marisa told Jeff that Miss Stephanie had reported that Henry was aggressive today (pushing and shoving). I believe that Marisa doesn't watch Henry's class until 3:30PM. She said that she hadn't witnessed any problems. In the car, Henry said that his ears hurt and he stuck his fingers in his ears. We were wondering if that spurred his bad temper. He could also be learning from others. I've noticed that a couple kids in his class are hitters.
Miss R arrived home shortly after we did. She was happy to see us. No problems there.
Today makes the official transfer date of Miss R's case from CPS to St. Nicholas. We haven't heard anything, but I suspect that a case manager hasn't been assigned yet.
Henry and Miss R didn't eat much at dinner. Henry wanted to finish watching Treasure Island. He liked the scene where the pirates are chasing young Jim. Henry landed in timeout three times. He tried to hit Miss R. After being in timeout, he tried to take an unopen snack from her. He was just not in a good frame of mind.
Miss R and I talked with Aunt Carolyn. Then it was teeth and bed.
Monday, December 14, 2009
"I want to go back to timeout."
Timeouts simply don't work as they should when it comes to Henry. Poppy told me that on Saturday night, Jeff had put Henry in timeout upon pick up b/c Henry was not cooperating. As usual, he wanted to stay at Grammy and Poppy's house. As they walked out to the car afterward, Henry turned around and headed back inside announcing that he wanted to "go back to timeout." Obviously, we need to figure out a new discliplnary deterent.
On Sunday morning, everyone slept in. It was nice. We sat at the table for breakfast, which is a novelty. Usually, the kids are in their high chairs in the kitchen, and Jeff and I stand near them eating.
At the table, the kids had a loud "Yes!" "No!" battle. I asked Miss R what was in her cup. She pretty much answered everything under the sun BUT the real substance...milk.
KATE: What's in your cup?
MISS R: Henry!
HENRY: That's silly, R.
Watching Henry put together concepts has been an amazing experience. His grasp of the abstract is much more advanced than I would have anticipated for a 2 year old.
Jeff took the kids for a walk.
Getting them down for a nap was trying. Jeff put them in their room around 12:15-12:30PM. They were still yammering at 1:40PM...which is approximately when Henry fell asleep, I think. I don't think that Miss R slept at all. That was a problem b/c I was supposed to meet up with a friend in the afternoon. We were going to take the kids to the Desert Museum. But we worked around their nap schedules and did Zoo Lights instead.
In the evening, we had grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. The kids like the table, I believe. At least it is something different.
In the car, Henry announced that his finger hurt and it had cactus in it. I'm pretty sure that he was fibbing. He then claimed his shoulder hurt. It was a ruse to get out of his car seat. He yelled, "R, don't touch me!" as though Miss R had invaded his space. In reality, I "think" that his hand was on her carseat, so I can hardly blame her for pushing it away. We met up with our friends Carolyn, Zak, and Adelyn at the Tucson Zoo around 7PM. The place was filled with lights. Adelyn is 21 months old...a great age for Miss R and Henry. The kids enjoyed the lights. We enjoyed watching the kids. The biggest hit was the empty stage in a grassy area. The kids danced on the stage and jumped off it.
Henry also enjoyed tipping over a very large air filled snow globe. The evening ended with the kids fighting over a tractor ride (the kind where you put in 25 cents). Adelyn wasn't thrilled to have Henry bustle his way onto the seat. Henry didn't want to share with Miss R, and he wasn't releasing his place to let Adelyn back aboard either. We'll have to work harder in 2010 on the concept of sharing. That can be Henry's first New Year's resolution. Miss R was pretty chill. I don't think that she gave two hoots about the tractor. Henry, on the other hand, gave his rather fake cry with his mouth downturned as we left the zoo. I think that we were the last ones to leave. Despite the tearful ending, we had a good time and are thinking of returning one of the evenings.
Miss R fell asleep in the car. Henry kept trying to wake her up. "Wake up, R! Wake up, R! It's green" (referring to the traffic light). "Wake up, R! It's time for breakfast!" (a bit of a fib). I put her to bed easily when we returned home. Henry stayed up and looked at ads with me. He loves the Sunday paper for that reason. Then Jeff read him a Disney story.
We've decided to change our spontaneous trip to San Diego to a trip to Disneyland. We've decided that we'll just do Disneyland, nothing else. Keep it simple. Not try to do too much each day. I think that both kids will love the characters. They already have several favorites. That leaves us with five days to get the house ready for the holidays so that things will be ready when we get back.
On Sunday morning, everyone slept in. It was nice. We sat at the table for breakfast, which is a novelty. Usually, the kids are in their high chairs in the kitchen, and Jeff and I stand near them eating.
At the table, the kids had a loud "Yes!" "No!" battle. I asked Miss R what was in her cup. She pretty much answered everything under the sun BUT the real substance...milk.
KATE: What's in your cup?
MISS R: Henry!
HENRY: That's silly, R.
Watching Henry put together concepts has been an amazing experience. His grasp of the abstract is much more advanced than I would have anticipated for a 2 year old.
Jeff took the kids for a walk.
Getting them down for a nap was trying. Jeff put them in their room around 12:15-12:30PM. They were still yammering at 1:40PM...which is approximately when Henry fell asleep, I think. I don't think that Miss R slept at all. That was a problem b/c I was supposed to meet up with a friend in the afternoon. We were going to take the kids to the Desert Museum. But we worked around their nap schedules and did Zoo Lights instead.
In the evening, we had grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. The kids like the table, I believe. At least it is something different.
In the car, Henry announced that his finger hurt and it had cactus in it. I'm pretty sure that he was fibbing. He then claimed his shoulder hurt. It was a ruse to get out of his car seat. He yelled, "R, don't touch me!" as though Miss R had invaded his space. In reality, I "think" that his hand was on her carseat, so I can hardly blame her for pushing it away. We met up with our friends Carolyn, Zak, and Adelyn at the Tucson Zoo around 7PM. The place was filled with lights. Adelyn is 21 months old...a great age for Miss R and Henry. The kids enjoyed the lights. We enjoyed watching the kids. The biggest hit was the empty stage in a grassy area. The kids danced on the stage and jumped off it.
Henry also enjoyed tipping over a very large air filled snow globe. The evening ended with the kids fighting over a tractor ride (the kind where you put in 25 cents). Adelyn wasn't thrilled to have Henry bustle his way onto the seat. Henry didn't want to share with Miss R, and he wasn't releasing his place to let Adelyn back aboard either. We'll have to work harder in 2010 on the concept of sharing. That can be Henry's first New Year's resolution. Miss R was pretty chill. I don't think that she gave two hoots about the tractor. Henry, on the other hand, gave his rather fake cry with his mouth downturned as we left the zoo. I think that we were the last ones to leave. Despite the tearful ending, we had a good time and are thinking of returning one of the evenings.Miss R fell asleep in the car. Henry kept trying to wake her up. "Wake up, R! Wake up, R! It's green" (referring to the traffic light). "Wake up, R! It's time for breakfast!" (a bit of a fib). I put her to bed easily when we returned home. Henry stayed up and looked at ads with me. He loves the Sunday paper for that reason. Then Jeff read him a Disney story.
We've decided to change our spontaneous trip to San Diego to a trip to Disneyland. We've decided that we'll just do Disneyland, nothing else. Keep it simple. Not try to do too much each day. I think that both kids will love the characters. They already have several favorites. That leaves us with five days to get the house ready for the holidays so that things will be ready when we get back.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Playing with Other Children
On Friday, Henry and Miss R went over to Grammy and Poppy's house in the late afternoon. Grammy and Poppy took them across the street to play with some other neighborhood grand kids. The kids across the street are a bit older (7, 8, 9 years old). Poppy said that they were perplexed and amused by Henry's boldness. He took a jump rope and tried to swing an end. He also showed them how he could jump. Miss R rode a trike.
I picked up the kids after my final exam (given on a Friday night between 5-7PM). The exam went well, other than a do-do blurting out some answers as I was explaining the fill-in-the-blanks. Sigh. I don't think that it was intentional...the gal just doesn't know how to think or when to keep her trap shut. I don't think that anyone cheated, which is a relief. I really didn't want to have to deal with the extra paperwork involved in dealing with lapses of integrity.
When I arrived, Henry and Miss R had just had their diapers changed. Miss R greeted me with the usual enthusiasm. She is an excellent greeter. Henry's mood ranged from indifferent to wanting me to go away so that he could stay at Grammy's house. In the car, he said, "I don't like Mommy. I don't like Mommy. I don't like Mommy. I want to go back to Grammy's house." On the ride home, I asked him about his day. He said that Aidan had taken his book and Alex had hit him. Then he said that Alex had taken a book, so I don't know if it was true or made up.
On Saturday, Jeff made the kids French toast. He took care of the kids in the morning while I attended the funeral for the mother of a former colleague who is perhaps the nicest, most genuine fellow whom I've ever met. Two of my current colleagues were there. One of them sang one of the hymns, which was nice. My parents were unable to attend b/c my dad was giving a speech to a political group in town.
I stopped by my parents' house on the way home. The funeral had been had my childhood parish, not far from their house. They had just returned. They ended up meeting Jeff and the kids at Costco. Costco is one of Henry's favorite stores (after Barnes & Noble, Toys R Us, Trader Joe's, and Walgreen's). Henry can identify the names/logos of many stores. The boy loves to shop. The other day, he told me that he wanted to go to Walgreen's. "Walgreen's make me feel better," he said. I don't know if he said that b/c shopping generally makes him feel better or if it has to do with us getting our pharmaceuticals there.
The grandparents took Henry and Miss R after the shopping excursion. They played outside a lot today. Jeff picked them up. When they got home, I read them "Mickey Mouse and the Haunted House."
Then it was teeth and bed. I'm staying up grading exams tonight. Fun, fun.
I picked up the kids after my final exam (given on a Friday night between 5-7PM). The exam went well, other than a do-do blurting out some answers as I was explaining the fill-in-the-blanks. Sigh. I don't think that it was intentional...the gal just doesn't know how to think or when to keep her trap shut. I don't think that anyone cheated, which is a relief. I really didn't want to have to deal with the extra paperwork involved in dealing with lapses of integrity.
When I arrived, Henry and Miss R had just had their diapers changed. Miss R greeted me with the usual enthusiasm. She is an excellent greeter. Henry's mood ranged from indifferent to wanting me to go away so that he could stay at Grammy's house. In the car, he said, "I don't like Mommy. I don't like Mommy. I don't like Mommy. I want to go back to Grammy's house." On the ride home, I asked him about his day. He said that Aidan had taken his book and Alex had hit him. Then he said that Alex had taken a book, so I don't know if it was true or made up.
On Saturday, Jeff made the kids French toast. He took care of the kids in the morning while I attended the funeral for the mother of a former colleague who is perhaps the nicest, most genuine fellow whom I've ever met. Two of my current colleagues were there. One of them sang one of the hymns, which was nice. My parents were unable to attend b/c my dad was giving a speech to a political group in town.
I stopped by my parents' house on the way home. The funeral had been had my childhood parish, not far from their house. They had just returned. They ended up meeting Jeff and the kids at Costco. Costco is one of Henry's favorite stores (after Barnes & Noble, Toys R Us, Trader Joe's, and Walgreen's). Henry can identify the names/logos of many stores. The boy loves to shop. The other day, he told me that he wanted to go to Walgreen's. "Walgreen's make me feel better," he said. I don't know if he said that b/c shopping generally makes him feel better or if it has to do with us getting our pharmaceuticals there.
The grandparents took Henry and Miss R after the shopping excursion. They played outside a lot today. Jeff picked them up. When they got home, I read them "Mickey Mouse and the Haunted House."
Then it was teeth and bed. I'm staying up grading exams tonight. Fun, fun.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Broken Glasses
On Tuesday, Jeff picked up Henry while I waited for Miss R to arrive home. She was dropped off early. Turns out that the sibling visits are only one hour and not two. Jeff made a delicious pasta and vegetable dinner for us. It was a nice, not particularly eventful evening.
On Wednesday, Grammy and Poppy picked up the kids after school. Apparently, Henry had snapped his glasses in half a naptime. Luckily, the shop said that they are under warranty, which is nice. The kids had a good time with Grammy and Poppy. Miss R was happy to see me when I arrived to pick them up. Henry was cordial but didn't want to come home.
On Thursday morning, we had a visit from Miss R's new CPS caseworker who was Carmen's supervisor. Carmen's cases were switched over to a person named Katie. She was nice. She's switching the case over to St. Nicholas. I'm not exactly sure how this works or why the system is set up as it is, but the only agency that handles adoptions in our area is St. Nicholas of Myra, which is a catholic services organization. Basically, we will be assigned a new caseworker who will vet us, I guess. Apparently, they usually go with CPS' recommendation. CPS is recommending us as the permanent home for Miss R. An aunt from another state left one message with the CPS workers, but they have not heard from her since. So she's a big question mark. Katie said that they usually don't get as excited about distant family members who don't seem to have a bond with a child who come into the picture as a last resort option. Miss R's lawyer said something similar the second time that he visited Miss R. He said that when family members come into the picture at the last minute, the impression given is that they are doing it because they "have" to, not because they really "want" to. He wants children going to homes where they are wanted. Things look positive, but we know that things aren't final until the judge says so.
Katie hadn't seen Miss R in a long time. She'd seen her a long time ago during one of the supervised visits at the CPS office. Katie's short observation of the kids was fairly representative of their true relationship. When she arrived, she witnessed Henry taking a card from Miss R's hands, Miss R getting upset, me telling Henry that we don't take objects from others w/o permission and that he had to give it back and apologize. She also saw them laugh and dive into the ball pitt together. As I said, a fairly representative snipet of what their relationship is like.
I took the kids to daycare right before their lunch times. Their time at daycare was relatively short, but gave me some time to get some things done.
We had a visit from Alison, our family specialist from APTCH, in the late afternoon. She's preparing the paperwork for St. Nick's. It will be similar to our foster parent home study, but this one will be particularly tailored for Miss R. Jeff picked up the kids and Henry was pleased to see her when he got home. He walked up to her and said "Let's check the house," which is what she does every visit. Makes sure medicines are locked up and that we have locks on the cabinets.
Alison wanted to know if we wanted to foster other children. Right now, our car situation is a limitation. Jeff really wants a Prius. He thinks that we can fit three cars seats in the back of one. I'm doubtful. Apparently, there was a baby who needed a home. Alison had thought of us, but wasn't sure that we entertaining the idea of more kids yet. It's an open question.
I made pizza tonight. I had Henry help me roll out the premade dough, put sauce on the dough, put cheese on the dough, and then lay out the pepperoni on one side. I had Miss R help me with putting mushrooms on the otherside and then putting the pan in the oven. Jeff made a fire after dinner. The kids loved it. He had to tell Henry to not touch it several times.
Henry wanted to play dress up. He announced that he wanted to be a princess. This probably had something to do with us watching Snow White before and during dinner. At one point, he wanted to be the princess. But then he wanted to kiss the princess.
Both kids did a great job letting us brush their teeth. Henry then wanted to brush our teeth. Henry brushed my teeth, and Miss R brushed Jeff's. They didn't make too much of a mess, but they did almost gag us a couple times. Then it was bedtime.
On Wednesday, Grammy and Poppy picked up the kids after school. Apparently, Henry had snapped his glasses in half a naptime. Luckily, the shop said that they are under warranty, which is nice. The kids had a good time with Grammy and Poppy. Miss R was happy to see me when I arrived to pick them up. Henry was cordial but didn't want to come home.
On Thursday morning, we had a visit from Miss R's new CPS caseworker who was Carmen's supervisor. Carmen's cases were switched over to a person named Katie. She was nice. She's switching the case over to St. Nicholas. I'm not exactly sure how this works or why the system is set up as it is, but the only agency that handles adoptions in our area is St. Nicholas of Myra, which is a catholic services organization. Basically, we will be assigned a new caseworker who will vet us, I guess. Apparently, they usually go with CPS' recommendation. CPS is recommending us as the permanent home for Miss R. An aunt from another state left one message with the CPS workers, but they have not heard from her since. So she's a big question mark. Katie said that they usually don't get as excited about distant family members who don't seem to have a bond with a child who come into the picture as a last resort option. Miss R's lawyer said something similar the second time that he visited Miss R. He said that when family members come into the picture at the last minute, the impression given is that they are doing it because they "have" to, not because they really "want" to. He wants children going to homes where they are wanted. Things look positive, but we know that things aren't final until the judge says so.
Katie hadn't seen Miss R in a long time. She'd seen her a long time ago during one of the supervised visits at the CPS office. Katie's short observation of the kids was fairly representative of their true relationship. When she arrived, she witnessed Henry taking a card from Miss R's hands, Miss R getting upset, me telling Henry that we don't take objects from others w/o permission and that he had to give it back and apologize. She also saw them laugh and dive into the ball pitt together. As I said, a fairly representative snipet of what their relationship is like.
I took the kids to daycare right before their lunch times. Their time at daycare was relatively short, but gave me some time to get some things done.
We had a visit from Alison, our family specialist from APTCH, in the late afternoon. She's preparing the paperwork for St. Nick's. It will be similar to our foster parent home study, but this one will be particularly tailored for Miss R. Jeff picked up the kids and Henry was pleased to see her when he got home. He walked up to her and said "Let's check the house," which is what she does every visit. Makes sure medicines are locked up and that we have locks on the cabinets.
Alison wanted to know if we wanted to foster other children. Right now, our car situation is a limitation. Jeff really wants a Prius. He thinks that we can fit three cars seats in the back of one. I'm doubtful. Apparently, there was a baby who needed a home. Alison had thought of us, but wasn't sure that we entertaining the idea of more kids yet. It's an open question.
I made pizza tonight. I had Henry help me roll out the premade dough, put sauce on the dough, put cheese on the dough, and then lay out the pepperoni on one side. I had Miss R help me with putting mushrooms on the otherside and then putting the pan in the oven. Jeff made a fire after dinner. The kids loved it. He had to tell Henry to not touch it several times.
Henry wanted to play dress up. He announced that he wanted to be a princess. This probably had something to do with us watching Snow White before and during dinner. At one point, he wanted to be the princess. But then he wanted to kiss the princess.
Both kids did a great job letting us brush their teeth. Henry then wanted to brush our teeth. Henry brushed my teeth, and Miss R brushed Jeff's. They didn't make too much of a mess, but they did almost gag us a couple times. Then it was bedtime.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Black Out!
On Monday, Jeff picked up the kids and they went to Sunflower (organic grocery store). Henry liked the rain drops in the parking lot. When they got home, Henry rediscovered the Yoda hat that Jamie made him last year. He even called it the Yoda hat, even 
though he hadn't seen it in several months. After dinner, Jeff gave them a bath. He put them in very cute PJs. Henry didn't want to be in PJs though. He announced that he wanted a night gown. So Jeff got the smallest t-shirt that he could find and gave it to Henry. Miss R wore dinosaur jammies. By the time I came home, they were in bed.It was very windy night. When I went to bed, it was raging. I could see the windows shake in their frames. We had a blackout around 3:30PM or so. I woke up with a start and found Jeff missing. He was dealing with our alarm system that was beeping. There's a battery for it but it was running low. Thank goodness for flashlights. Jeff had seen a transmitter box blow outside on the mainroad.
On Tuesday morning, the kids looked super cute as we headed out the door. Henry is fond of my childhood sunglasses.
I took the kids to Gadabout for haircuts. Grammy had a 9AM appointment with Todd. I had scheduled a 10AM appointment for Miss R with Tammy...completely independent of Grammy's haircut. It worked out really well. While Grammy got her haircut, we threw many pennies in the water fountain. We visited the wall of water in the waiting area, and the kids hid behind the two-stories tall curtains. Henry got his haircut by Todd (haircut number 3). This time, he sat in the chair all by himself rather than on Grammy's lap.Miss R had her very first haircut. When I called the Gadabout office, they recommended Tammy who works with kids and has experience with African-American hair. Miss R was fabulous. She sat in the chair like a trooper. I think that Tammy was impressed with Miss R's patience. I was pleased that Tammy thought that Miss R's hair felt pretty good. It is nice to know that we've been doing a good job with a hair type with which we had no prior experience. Upon getting Miss R, I called my friend Brenda and asked her what I needed to know about African-American hair. We've been using Nexxus' Humectress during bath time and have only been shampooing once every two weeks. We also have the Humectress leave-in conditioner to wet and style her hair in the mornings. I also use an olive oil spray. The needs of AA hair are completely different from white hair. Tammy recommended doing as little styling as possible as Miss R's particular kind of hair is very fine and fragile. The haircut looks really good. Everything is even now. And Miss R was really great about having someone cut her hair.
Grammy took Henry to Trader Joe's while Miss R had her hair cut. We met up at Grammy and Poppy's house. Miss R had a scone. Then, it was off to school. Henry didn't want to go. When we arrived, he said, "I don't like my friends." "I don't like..." has been a common phrase the past couple weeks. Don't know where he got it. At times, he has said, "I don't like Mommy...," "I don't like Daddy...," "I don't like Grammy...," etc. So far, I think that Poppy is the only one not on the "don't like" list. In fact, this morning on the way to Gadabout, Henry said, "I like Poppy." Anyway, I told Henry that he had to stay.
MISS STEPHANIE: Henry, don't you want toys for Christmas?
HENRY: Toys!
MISS STEPHANIE: Well then, Mommy has to go to work to make money so that she can buy you toys.
Henry got down and sat at the table. I was allowed to leave to make my fortune to buy him presents.
When I got home, Elsa from Project Amor called. We have a meeting with the school system next week. Since she doesn't visit us and doesn't know Henry well, she had several questions to ask about him.
There are some things that he doesn't do well in the area of fine motor skills (e.g. taking off articles of clothing). But on the social and communication indices, he was doing some of the items on the set for 48 month olds. I think that he is advanced in those areas, but I'm not convinced that he's really at at a 48 month level. One item was "Can your child speak between 300-1,000 words?" He was over 350 words 7 months ago when I stopped counting. He's probably beyond 1,000 words by now.
I called the OT's office a month ago to get an evaluation for him. I would have liked that to have taken place BEFORE talking with the school system next week. But the OT hasn't called us back. I sent an email. No response. Left yet another message. I don't know what's going on with that office. Fine motor is the one area where I would like to see his skills assessed. And of course, we still have the toe walking issue being handled by the PT.
That's all for now. Back to work...
Sunday, December 6, 2009
A Great Day
On Saturday, Jeff took care of the kids when they woke up from their nap. I was zonked out. I think that I was fighting whatever Jeff and the kids had had the days before. The evening was nice.
On Sunday, we had a really great day. The kids slept in past 8AM. We had French toast for breakfast. We gave the kids a bath, which was needed after Henry spilled OJ all over himself.
Then, we took the kids to Golf'N'Stuff for a nice event sponsored by the CASA program. Miss R's CASA had invited us. They gave us tokens for the games and wrist bands for unlimited play on the outdoor rides. The kids were too small for most of them, but we did fit in a bumper boat ride.
The kids also saw Santa Claus. Miss R was thrilled with her candy cane from his elf. The kids rode a little carousel several times.
We attempted to play miniature golf. The kids decided that using their hands was the way to go. We walked the course more than played it. We had pizza for lunch. The elf went around to the tables and made balloon animals for the kids. All of the kids were given Teddy Bears too. Ida, Miss R's CASA, was amused that Henry chose the pink bear. What can I say? Henry really likes the color pink. Miss R chose a brown bear.
We didn't leave 2:30PM or so. After Ida left and the event had officially ended, we continued to play games in the arcade. We amassed tickets with which we purchased two hackie sacks and two bracelets. Henry decided to wear his as a necklace. The kids fell asleep in the car on the way to Grammy and Poppy's house. We dropped them off around 3:15PM.
Jeff and I stopped by the Glass Onion for an early dinner. We didn't really eat much at the event. A blue grass group called "The Old Buzzards" was performing, so we had our lunch there and listened to some music. I was fascinated by the washtub instrument.
We came home. Jeff straightened out some things outside. I did some work. We watched almost all of 10,000 B.C. while I did some things on my laptop. Then, my parents brought the kids back.
They had eaten well for my parents. They were in great moods. We played in the train room. I convinced Henry to play a new game called "How Quickly Can You Pick This Up." Miss R decided not to play. We read "The Great Snail Race." Then it was teeth and bed for the kids. Jeff and I watched Gran Torino. Two movies in one day! I was working through them, but still. It was nice.
Happy kids. Happy parents. A great day.
On Sunday, we had a really great day. The kids slept in past 8AM. We had French toast for breakfast. We gave the kids a bath, which was needed after Henry spilled OJ all over himself.
Then, we took the kids to Golf'N'Stuff for a nice event sponsored by the CASA program. Miss R's CASA had invited us. They gave us tokens for the games and wrist bands for unlimited play on the outdoor rides. The kids were too small for most of them, but we did fit in a bumper boat ride.
The kids also saw Santa Claus. Miss R was thrilled with her candy cane from his elf. The kids rode a little carousel several times.We attempted to play miniature golf. The kids decided that using their hands was the way to go. We walked the course more than played it. We had pizza for lunch. The elf went around to the tables and made balloon animals for the kids. All of the kids were given Teddy Bears too. Ida, Miss R's CASA, was amused that Henry chose the pink bear. What can I say? Henry really likes the color pink. Miss R chose a brown bear.
We didn't leave 2:30PM or so. After Ida left and the event had officially ended, we continued to play games in the arcade. We amassed tickets with which we purchased two hackie sacks and two bracelets. Henry decided to wear his as a necklace. The kids fell asleep in the car on the way to Grammy and Poppy's house. We dropped them off around 3:15PM.Jeff and I stopped by the Glass Onion for an early dinner. We didn't really eat much at the event. A blue grass group called "The Old Buzzards" was performing, so we had our lunch there and listened to some music. I was fascinated by the washtub instrument.
We came home. Jeff straightened out some things outside. I did some work. We watched almost all of 10,000 B.C. while I did some things on my laptop. Then, my parents brought the kids back.
They had eaten well for my parents. They were in great moods. We played in the train room. I convinced Henry to play a new game called "How Quickly Can You Pick This Up." Miss R decided not to play. We read "The Great Snail Race." Then it was teeth and bed for the kids. Jeff and I watched Gran Torino. Two movies in one day! I was working through them, but still. It was nice.
Happy kids. Happy parents. A great day.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Up
Henry and I slept in. Miss R and Jeff started their day at a normal hour. The big event today was taking the kids to see Up. It was playing at a second-run theater near the Tucson Mall. This was our first adventure taking the kids to see a movie on the "big screen."
We got there a little after it had started but given the number of previews, I don't think that we missed much. Cost: $2 for all four of us. We've wondered how they make money. We bought $11.20 worth of refreshments (1 large lemonade, 1 medium popcorn, and a soft pretzel). Still don't know how they make money.
We started off in a row about 1/3 back from the screen. Eventually, Henry wanted to explore, so he got past Jeff and walked down the aisle. I managed to follow him, and he and I sat in the front row for several minutes. Jeff and Miss R eventually joined us. All in all, the kids were quite good, but they did pace up and down the front and tried out several seats. I had to stop Henry from making one seat squeak as he tried to fold himself into it, which he enjoyed.
We were surprised that the kids made it through the entire movie...especially one that they hadn't seen before. We find that they pay attention more to things with which they are already familiar. I think that Henry enjoyed it a bit more than Miss R, but both did good jobs.
We had planned to take the kids to see "The Princess and the Frog," which opens next week. I've been particularly excited by that one b/c the heroine is black. Finally, a Disney movie with a black princess! Having Miss R in our lives makes me a bit sensitive to things. I think that I've mentioned this before, but I feel awkward buying Disney products with all white characters (e.g., her princess underware has Snow White, Cinderella, and Ariel on it). Not that I'm claiming that she needs all black or mostly black characters, but some major characters should be black. A mix is needed.
I'm not sure if we are going to take them next weekend to see the movie next week or if we are going to wait until it hits the second-run theaters. They do like to walk around a lot, and we would expect a first-run theater to be much more crowded than what we experienced today.
As we got in the car, Henry announced that he "want to go to Sweet Potatoes!" He meant "Sweet Tomatoes." We've take the kids there maybe two or three times, so I'm surprised that he remembered its name. Moreover, I was surprised that he mentioned it b/c it wasn't far from where we were but not visible from our location. Henry has an amazing sense of geography. It's like he has an internal GPS or something. Where he got it is a mystery! He didn't get it from me, that's for sure.
We went to "Sweet Tomatoes." The kids didn't eat as much as usual. The big item was that Henry and Miss R got their very own ice cream cones. I don't think that they've had their own ones before. Henry made a HUGE mess but had a lot of fun eating it. As we left, Henry and I had the following conversation:
KATE: Let's go home and take a nap.
HENRY: No!
KATE: Let's go home and close our eyes for three hours.
HENRY: OK.
We headed home. Now the kids are asleep.
We got there a little after it had started but given the number of previews, I don't think that we missed much. Cost: $2 for all four of us. We've wondered how they make money. We bought $11.20 worth of refreshments (1 large lemonade, 1 medium popcorn, and a soft pretzel). Still don't know how they make money.
We started off in a row about 1/3 back from the screen. Eventually, Henry wanted to explore, so he got past Jeff and walked down the aisle. I managed to follow him, and he and I sat in the front row for several minutes. Jeff and Miss R eventually joined us. All in all, the kids were quite good, but they did pace up and down the front and tried out several seats. I had to stop Henry from making one seat squeak as he tried to fold himself into it, which he enjoyed.
We were surprised that the kids made it through the entire movie...especially one that they hadn't seen before. We find that they pay attention more to things with which they are already familiar. I think that Henry enjoyed it a bit more than Miss R, but both did good jobs.
We had planned to take the kids to see "The Princess and the Frog," which opens next week. I've been particularly excited by that one b/c the heroine is black. Finally, a Disney movie with a black princess! Having Miss R in our lives makes me a bit sensitive to things. I think that I've mentioned this before, but I feel awkward buying Disney products with all white characters (e.g., her princess underware has Snow White, Cinderella, and Ariel on it). Not that I'm claiming that she needs all black or mostly black characters, but some major characters should be black. A mix is needed.
I'm not sure if we are going to take them next weekend to see the movie next week or if we are going to wait until it hits the second-run theaters. They do like to walk around a lot, and we would expect a first-run theater to be much more crowded than what we experienced today.
As we got in the car, Henry announced that he "want to go to Sweet Potatoes!" He meant "Sweet Tomatoes." We've take the kids there maybe two or three times, so I'm surprised that he remembered its name. Moreover, I was surprised that he mentioned it b/c it wasn't far from where we were but not visible from our location. Henry has an amazing sense of geography. It's like he has an internal GPS or something. Where he got it is a mystery! He didn't get it from me, that's for sure.
We went to "Sweet Tomatoes." The kids didn't eat as much as usual. The big item was that Henry and Miss R got their very own ice cream cones. I don't think that they've had their own ones before. Henry made a HUGE mess but had a lot of fun eating it. As we left, Henry and I had the following conversation:
KATE: Let's go home and take a nap.
HENRY: No!
KATE: Let's go home and close our eyes for three hours.
HENRY: OK.
We headed home. Now the kids are asleep.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Trader Joe's
Jeff and Miss R stayed home on Friday. Jeff said that they sat on the couch. He rested while Miss R climbed on him.
Henry marched onto the playground without glancing back at me this morning. I went to school, worked, made a hair appointment for Miss R, and then picked Henry up around 4:45PM. He was sitting at a table with his remaining classmates playing with legos. His back was to the door. I snuck up on him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He smiled. I love his smile.
We went to Pearle Vision so that I could exchange my glasses. Henry tried out several pairs. He loves glasses, which I guess is a good thing. Then, we went to Trader Joe's. Henry loves Trader Joe's. He helped pick out several items and enjoyed taste testing. As much as Henry tires me out, I enjoy shopping with him. He makes mundane activities lively. He takes such pleasure in basic things like picking out fruit.
We had dinner and watched a little bit of Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone (Henry's choice of course). Miss R sat on me a bit. Then it was teeth and bed.
Henry marched onto the playground without glancing back at me this morning. I went to school, worked, made a hair appointment for Miss R, and then picked Henry up around 4:45PM. He was sitting at a table with his remaining classmates playing with legos. His back was to the door. I snuck up on him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He smiled. I love his smile.
We went to Pearle Vision so that I could exchange my glasses. Henry tried out several pairs. He loves glasses, which I guess is a good thing. Then, we went to Trader Joe's. Henry loves Trader Joe's. He helped pick out several items and enjoyed taste testing. As much as Henry tires me out, I enjoy shopping with him. He makes mundane activities lively. He takes such pleasure in basic things like picking out fruit.
We had dinner and watched a little bit of Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone (Henry's choice of course). Miss R sat on me a bit. Then it was teeth and bed.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
A Call from School
On Thursday morning, the dropoff at school wasn't so bad when it came to Henry. He was interested again in the snack, so he marched right to one of the tables in his classroom and sat down. Barely a backward glance for me.
With Miss R, it was another story. She has been very clingy and uncooperative lately. She was mad when I made her walk through the door of the daycare. Then she refused to walk down the hall. I said, "See you later, R." I was twenty feet away from her and she called my bluff. Sigh. She cried when I took her to her classroom.
At 3:15PM, the daycare called. Miss R had a temp of 101.7 under the arm and she'd been fairly lethargic all day. So I hustled down to pick up the kids. We had planned to take them to Monkey Business, but obviously Miss R couldn't go. So when arrived back home with the kids, Jeff took Henry for some one-on-one time. They brought Miss R a bracelet, which she liked, from the restaurant.
Miss R didn't act lethargic at home. She sneezed a lot though. Pretty much ever sneeze resulted in double-barreled snot cannons. I gave her a children's motrin to bring down her temp that was 100.3 under the arm at the time. It could be that the ear infection hasn't responded yet to the antibiotics. We started the antibiotics last night.
Miss R and I looked at pictures and made a new family photo for our holiday cards. I created a collage last weekend with a center picture of the four of us. I wrote to Miss R's new caseworked and asked permission for the family photo as it wouldn't go onto our website and would only be sent to family/friends via snail mail. But unfortunately, that was a no-go with CPS. So, I've made a new Henry 2009 collage instead. We decided not to have another photo taken of just Jeff, Henry, and me b/c it just wouldn't feel right to take a family photo without Miss R. We are keenly aware that she isn't legally ours, but she certainly feels like an integral part of the family at this moment in time.
Henry had a fabulous time with Jeff. They brought back pizza and mac'n'cheese from Monkey Business.
Henry wanted to turn on the lights to the Christmas tree. I told him that we still needed an extension cord. When Jeff came back into the kitchen, Henry said, "Daddy, I need you to get me an extention cord." I'm not sure that he really knew what one was, but it is amazing how closely he listens to me when he wants something done. Jeff did indeed find a cord.
We played a little in the living room. Then it was teeth and bed. Henry rode his Hippo to the bathroom. Miss R protested, so I carried her. She cried. Then Henry tried to throw a hissy fit as well. I told him to knock it off, and he did. I think that his acting skills in the tear department have improved considerably. He is no longer the world's worst actor...but as his mother I can still tell when he's faking.
After brushing his teeth, Henry announced that he wanted to wear a night gown. Unfortunately, his one night gown is too small for him and Miss R is now wearing it. He really, really wanted one, so I found a small t-shirt in my closet from my trip to China. It's a small for an adult, but Henry was swimming in it...but he was happy. I read the kids two stories before they went to sleep: "The Monster Under the Shed" and "Mrs. McNosh and the Great Big Squash." After some light protests, the kids went to bed.
Jeff is beginning to not feel so well. His head is all stuffed up. I suspect that he is going to follow the same path as the kids. Miss R is going to be allowed back at school tomorrow. She doesn't have a fever now but she has to be fever-free for 24 hours. I suspect that Henry and I will be going to our respective schools. Hopefully, I won't be going down the same path as Jeff, but only time will tell.
With Miss R, it was another story. She has been very clingy and uncooperative lately. She was mad when I made her walk through the door of the daycare. Then she refused to walk down the hall. I said, "See you later, R." I was twenty feet away from her and she called my bluff. Sigh. She cried when I took her to her classroom.
At 3:15PM, the daycare called. Miss R had a temp of 101.7 under the arm and she'd been fairly lethargic all day. So I hustled down to pick up the kids. We had planned to take them to Monkey Business, but obviously Miss R couldn't go. So when arrived back home with the kids, Jeff took Henry for some one-on-one time. They brought Miss R a bracelet, which she liked, from the restaurant.
Miss R didn't act lethargic at home. She sneezed a lot though. Pretty much ever sneeze resulted in double-barreled snot cannons. I gave her a children's motrin to bring down her temp that was 100.3 under the arm at the time. It could be that the ear infection hasn't responded yet to the antibiotics. We started the antibiotics last night.
Miss R and I looked at pictures and made a new family photo for our holiday cards. I created a collage last weekend with a center picture of the four of us. I wrote to Miss R's new caseworked and asked permission for the family photo as it wouldn't go onto our website and would only be sent to family/friends via snail mail. But unfortunately, that was a no-go with CPS. So, I've made a new Henry 2009 collage instead. We decided not to have another photo taken of just Jeff, Henry, and me b/c it just wouldn't feel right to take a family photo without Miss R. We are keenly aware that she isn't legally ours, but she certainly feels like an integral part of the family at this moment in time.
Henry had a fabulous time with Jeff. They brought back pizza and mac'n'cheese from Monkey Business.
Henry wanted to turn on the lights to the Christmas tree. I told him that we still needed an extension cord. When Jeff came back into the kitchen, Henry said, "Daddy, I need you to get me an extention cord." I'm not sure that he really knew what one was, but it is amazing how closely he listens to me when he wants something done. Jeff did indeed find a cord.
We played a little in the living room. Then it was teeth and bed. Henry rode his Hippo to the bathroom. Miss R protested, so I carried her. She cried. Then Henry tried to throw a hissy fit as well. I told him to knock it off, and he did. I think that his acting skills in the tear department have improved considerably. He is no longer the world's worst actor...but as his mother I can still tell when he's faking.
After brushing his teeth, Henry announced that he wanted to wear a night gown. Unfortunately, his one night gown is too small for him and Miss R is now wearing it. He really, really wanted one, so I found a small t-shirt in my closet from my trip to China. It's a small for an adult, but Henry was swimming in it...but he was happy. I read the kids two stories before they went to sleep: "The Monster Under the Shed" and "Mrs. McNosh and the Great Big Squash." After some light protests, the kids went to bed.Jeff is beginning to not feel so well. His head is all stuffed up. I suspect that he is going to follow the same path as the kids. Miss R is going to be allowed back at school tomorrow. She doesn't have a fever now but she has to be fever-free for 24 hours. I suspect that Henry and I will be going to our respective schools. Hopefully, I won't be going down the same path as Jeff, but only time will tell.
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