Summer ends and school begins

We have been wrapping up summer events and preparing for the start of school during the last few weeks.  For me, it's bitter sweet to see these summer days end.  The kids and I enjoyed our freedom and space; we continued to learn much about one another and our relationships; and we finally had the opportunity to have some breathing space after 18 months or so of fairly constant stress.

However, by the middle of August or so, I was running out of steam.  Three kids all day every day is a lot of work.  Prepping one of those kids and her new team at school for the start of the school year is also a lot of work.  It will be nice to have a different routine and a little bit of down time without the girls at home.  I will miss them, but school is starting at a good time.

Anna had a neuro-oncology appointment in mid-August.  All of the professionals are still pleased and positive about Anna's progress.  Anna and I spent a long time waiting around for everyone, though.

Last week Kate and Anna had a final performance for the "Broadway" class they took through Anna's therapy clinic.  The girls sang "Let It Go" from Frozen as a duet (karaoke version) as well as a couple of group numbers.  The finale of the evening was "I Can Go the Distance" from Hercules; the whole group sang this together.

The group contained kids of all ages and abilities.  Some, like Kate, are "typically developing".  Others, like Anna, had a variety of developmental challenges.  The final song was quite powerful to watch, especially after learning about some of the other kids over the course of the summer.  I wish all kids could have the opportunity to get to know and interact with kids from different walks of life in such a safe and positive environment.  Individual differences bring such richness to life.

This class was an amazing experience for both girls; they grew incredibly throughout the summer.  To give some perspective, Kate was extremely nervous the first day in June and was in tears for the beginning half of the class.  Since that day, she looked forward to this class like she has never looked forward to any group activity (besides school).  She was confident and proud on the day of the performance.

Anna has never been the kind of kid to be too anxious about these experiences, but her growth was more about the strength, volume, speed, etc. of her voice in addition to increasing her independence in group settings.  Anna's speech therapist came to the performance and was pleasantly surprised by Anna's loudness and overall abilities.

Last week was also the week before school starts when staff report back to school.  We had a big meeting with Anna's new team last Tuesday.  For those who don't know, the schools in McFarland are set up differently than in some districts.  The kindergarteners have their own building, then there is a separate building next door for the 1st and 2nd graders.  Another building houses the 3rd through 5th graders, followed by the middle school and finally the high school.  Instead of having neighborhood elementary schools that funnel into a centralized middle school, the kids who start together in kindergarten continue as a class of 160 students all the way through high school.  Pretty cool set-up.

But that meant that Anna would be in a completely new building with a completely different team this year. 
Big transitions for everyone.

The meeting went very well and everything seems to be in place for Anna to have a successful start to her 3rd grade year.  However, it's a lot of work ... for everyone.

Two evenings last week were also taken up by back-to-school ice cream socials (one for Kate and one for Anna) during which the kids can drop off their school supplies.

Then Friday morning Anna had an appointment with the GI specialist at the hospital to try to help us get to the bottom of her recent vomiting episodes; we figured that we are going to do whatever we can to prevent this from happening at school.  The doc said it's all still related to the slow motility, so we made some adjustments to Anna's feeding regimen and are hoping for the best.  Kate and Ethan came along to that appointment by necessity, but they were absolutely awesome.  Kate read a whole bunch of I Spy books with the boy; he is really going to miss his big sister this fall when she is at school.

By Friday evening we were READY to be home together and not have to rush through dinner so that we could go somewhere.

Between Anna's therapy and the extra events of last week, we didn't do many special end-of-summer fun activities.  Kate played school with Ethan just about every spare moment she had.  Ethan convinced Kate that part of that time should be spend riding bikes in the driveway; Ethan figured out how to peddle on Monday and spent a lot of time riding his bike (with training wheels) last week.

The weather was pretty uncooperative for a last week of summer so playing in the pool was not an option.  Instead, on Monday afternoon, we got out buckets of water and played around in the driveway with them.

The water was cold, but it was fun :)

The first day of school seems to have gone well.

Both daughters were up bright and early and were very excited for the day.  Everyone was moving a bit more slowly on the second morning.  The girls' brains were certainly tired by the end of the first day, but we are all hoping that they can make the necessary adjustments soon.

And I am looking forward to spending some quality time with this handsome guy!

After missing out on many parts of his life since Anna's diagnosis, I am excited to have him all to myself for awhile still :)

Time for Prayers

Thanksgiving
Please give thanks that our summer was much more self-contained and independent than last year.
Please thank God that everything seems to be in place for a successful start to the school year for both of our daughters.
Please give thanks for all of the progress that Anna made over the course of the summer.
Please thank God for all of the helpers Anna has had recently ... therapists, friends, family, etc.
Please continue to give thanks for all those in the medical community who are continuing to support Anna and our family.
Please ask for peace and rest for me this week; I think I have the most anxiety of anyone in the family about the start of the school year.

Requests
Please pray for wisdom, peace, patience, strength, and rest for all teachers, students, and parents as they begin this new school year.

Thanks for your continued support and prayers!