Cinco DeMay Baby!

Her special book, ABC's 123's and artwork from the whole year!

her hands :)

My Mother's day flowers :)

A wonderful mexican fiesta!

Getting a little energy out!

group photo!!

then outside to burn more energy off!

Busy busy day! I started by spending 1 1/2 hours at school at IEP meetings for both Danny and Gerri. Since school only has a month left it must be time to start OT!! Cause you know they have only been going to this school since August! And the OT then said she would start next week and then she was having hip surgery and would be out the rest of the year! You know you just can't make this stuff up!!

I almost had to go postal on the asst principal when he suggested we move Danny up to 3rd grade, knowing he would fail, not pass the FCAT (FL mandatory testing) and have to redo 3rd grade! I looked right at him and said why would you have him promoted from 2nd grade, which he struggled and failed at, only to have him do the same in 3rd grade!?!?!? and this is the asst principal! Oh man, they make is SO hard on children with special needs, both physical and mental. I did tell them that this was basically a lost year, that he started in August and did not start getting ESE classes till end of March. So with no help he just fell farther and farther behind :(
We have started testing with his psychiatrist. We hope to get some good information on where his strengths and weaknesses are so we can tailor his schooling to best suit him :)

So after that thoroughly enlightening time, I got to go to Victoria's preK class for a Mother's day lunch!! We were greeted at the door by our kids and flowers they had made, had a special book made by the wonderful teachers with all their artwork from the whole year, flowers in a pot and a new placemat. We had a wonderful mexican fiesta meal :) and her teacher gave a talk, and cried :) :)
The kids ate and then ran around and around! then went outside and ran around and around!

We were home in time for me to start pulling stuff together to pack for Philly. oh, after taking Victoria for her followup at the pediatrician, thankfully her lungs are clear!!!

I learned something very interesting this am during Gerri's IEP. Turns out she told her teacher that she had to stay in her chair, could not get on the floor, could not use her hands to move her wheelchair! I informed her teacher that none of that was true. No wonder she is SO stiff and sore when she gets home! She sits ALL day at school with her knees bent and not moving!!
So when Gerri got home we had a nice little chat! At first she tried to tell me that she was going on the floor and using her hands, but when I pretended to call her teacher on my cell phone she fessed up. We then had a nice talk about why sitting all day is the worst thing for her knees!!
I tried to get her to stand upright and she was just about jello!! She face planted twice and didn't even put her hands out! So then we talked about how her hands work, even in a splint and cast!!
I then had her using both hands to help me sort through stuff, while sitting on the floor with her legs straight out. After a bit I had her in the walker moving her legs in the correct motion, then crawling!!
So bit by bit it will happen :)
Up very early tomorrow!! :)