Day # 1 of the next adventure

5:45am Wake up, shower
6:15am Eat breakfast, make bed, brush teeth
6:45am Fill backpack with all new school supplies.
6:55am Take many deep breaths.
7:00am Head off to tutoring.
8:45am Return home.
9:00am Head off to new school, more deep breaths.

9:05am

We walked into the school and immediately saw KP’s new teacher,  who I will refer to as Mr. Bobbie (cause KP would really like to call him that). He walked us to the classroom. As we walked we talked. He showed us KP’s desk. We unpacked his things. Knute asked questions about what the red folder was for and the green folder and what the schedule was and when is lunch and where should I put all the pencils and who the the GIRLS who sit next to me and how are you going to introduce me and do I have a locker….

So many questions, so very nervous. His biggest fear today, that he was going to be so nervous he would cry. He did not want to cry today.

9:23am

Once he was settled, Mr. Bobbie opened the door to show him his locker. Other kids where now streaming into the hallway. The first face he saw, he knew. I said hi to the kiddo and then asked if he would show KP the ropes today. He said, “awww totally!” I looked at KP asked if he wanted me to stay long. He said, “Nope, you can go.”

9:27am

I walked back in to talk a bit with Mr. Bobbie. Minutes later I headed out of the classroom and into the hall.

9:30am

I turned to look back at my boy. He was surrounded by a group of kids all abuzz, with a smile on his face from ear to ear. I turned and left.

You have friends and then…you have FRIENDS

KP’s best friend in the whole-wide-world-since-he-was-wee-little moved to New York City this past summer. THAT was a tough transition but they face time and keep in touch and know deep down in their little souls that they will always be buddies.

If Pete was still in Minnesota, he and KP would now be going to the same school. Irony of ironies. Since he is not, he decided to send an email to his friends that are still there.

Hey every body,

(If you see him say hi and welcome him.)

 

Thanks every one, your friend,Peter!

Ohhh Pete…we miss you. Thanks for being such a kick ass friend.

I can’t even spell Dysleksia

Where to start.

I guess I will start with this photo. This is 13 minutes after I told him things that I thought were going to be the equivalent of ripping out his little heart, stomping on his soul and feeding it to the wolves.

What words you ask?

“Yup, buddy, you have to move to a different school.”

We knew there was something amiss last year. So we pushed the school. Then we pushed a little harder and dug a little deeper. Within the pushing and the digging I hoped the path would become clear. Where the path would lead, I had no idea. I simply trusted that those we had met with and those we sought help from would help us figure out the puzzle.

The path finally became crystal clear. KP is severely Dyslexic and an immersion school setting is close to the worst possible setting for him.

With THAT bit of clarity comes action. Action that has been swift and will change the corse of things.

No one ever said parenting was going to be easy. No one ever said the path would always be clear. As much as I want it to be, it’s not. As much as I want a parenting manual, no one would be silly enough to print one.

The agonizing over what the best possible choice for your child is, is hard at best. As a parent, I don’t want to misstep. Oh I will but I don’t want to. I don’t want to cause unease, pain or hardship. But in this instance, pain, change, being scared and having to be open to what the roller coster has in store is what is going on.

Strap on that seatbelt buddy, hold my hand….we will do it together.

Catching a moment

When the bustling of the morning is happening, dishes clanking, dogs barking, cars leaving, everyone readying for the day, then I turn and look…

and he has found his own bit of solitude.

Day #4 ~ 30 Days of Biking

“This is the ONLY time you should ever be sitting on a railroad track! Got it?”

Said me with my camera.

Day #3 ~30 Days of Biking

Day #3 brought us to my very favorite place on the Cedar Lake Trail!

Day#2 ~ 30 Days of Biking

So big but so small

I have never been a big co-sleeper with my kids. In fact, I might be the anti-co-sleeper.

The thought of them invading my space and disrupting what little sleep I was getting, when they were little, just made my head spin. Then, the thought of undoing the habit of co-sleeping seemed even worse, let alone thinking of a 12 year old boy in my bed seemed just like nothing I wanted to be part of.

All that said, there are moments…

Moments like last night, when KP came upstairs to tell me he can’t sleep and he thinks there are ants in his bed. I pull myself up half asleep and walk to his room, no ants.

I tuck him in, kiss him again and bid him a good night.

At 2:15 he reemerges and says, I can’t sleep, can I sleep with you?

In my fog I welcome him in with both arms, full well knowing the ants got to his psyche and that my baby doesn’t often ask for such things. Through the remaining slumber I kept waking and knowing, this was precious time. These requests come so few and far between at this age and I know he will go back to his bed tomorrow.

But tonight, come here little boy, let mom wipe away the ants and hold you and keep you safe.

One year later…

Ohhhhh and Happy Easter!

The kids have grown (some much I think CT has turned into a man), life has been a whirl wind (I can’t tell you how many times I have recently uttered, I am so glad I am not training for an Ironman this year) and my hope is to take it down a notch (literally have a moment to breath deeply) and find a little more time to jot our life’s adventures back down.

I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Easter and…

How on earth did these kids get so big?

This photo says it all to me.

CT in control.

PJ with the side-ways smirk.

KP…doing what he does.