Disoriented

Yesterday was one of those days I'm happy to have in my rear view mirror.

After much anxiety and anticipation, we had Isaiah's IEP and placement meeting at the elementary school. We met with the teachers, administrator, and therapists involved in his education plan and and on his transition team. Apparently, Isaiah is quite the little character. According to his preschool teacher, Isaiah is content to watch sit and watch his classmates. They call the other children Isaiah's very own "KidTV" channel. He doesn't seem "motivated" to interact with them or pursue any activities.

In the middle of the meeting, I put Isaiah down on the floor behind me, handed him his favorite toy, and turned back to face the group. A few moments later, they all gasped at something happening behind me. I turned around to see Isaiah pulling up to a stand on a chair ~ something he does ad nauseum at home. Chairs, couches, people's legs...he pulls up on anything and everything.

Just not at school.

I apologized for howling. But this is the kid we have been diligently baby-proofing the house from...the same kid who can out-crawl me when I attempt to corral him for bed...the kid we've nicknamed "Spiderman" due to the way he clings spread eagle on the wall and inches along from room-to-room....the same kid whom I found standing in my shower the other day shaking a bottle of face cleanser.

The kid is motivated. You just have to figure out his motivators. Here's a hint: it's probably going to be something he's not supposed to have.

Savannah's 6th grade orientation was next. I remember Jr. High as such an awkward stage of my development. But 6th grade was still a part of elementary school where we lived. At Savannah's new school, the 6-7-8 hallways are all separated. I was sure to ask if and when the populations co-mingle. To me, it's just unnatural to have 6th grade girls under the same roof with 8th grade boys.

A lot of Savannah's current classmates were at the orientation last night so that helped ease some of my anxiety and a lot of hers. We met the principal, a counselor, the teachers, and took a guided tour of the school. Savannah was SO excited.

At one point during the tour, Mariah started sobbing. I took her aside, thinking that it was probably hitting her that she and Savannah were going to be separated for the first time in their school years. So I leaned over to her and said, "Oh sweetie...I know you are going to miss your big sister..."

Catching her breath through the snot and tears she mustered, "Noooo! I want to go to this neat school, too!"

So much for sisterly love.