Plans

Even though the new school year is seven months away, registration is going on now so we are thinking ahead. We have decided to send Simon to 3-year old preschool. He has been watching Jamie and Clare go to school for two years now and asks when his turn is coming. He is one smart, outgoing kid, but in a structured setting, he turns into a statue. He has no problem leaving me (does great in the childcare room at the gym, loves playdates), but does not participate when it's something organized. So I think morning preschool twice a week will be a good start for Simon. I took Simon with me a couple weeks ago to visit the school and register (it's the same school where Jamie attended preschool and kindergarten). Now he asks me daily when he is going to school. At first, I told him when he was 3, but now he thinks he will go on his third birthday. So I have changed my answer to "after the summer." I don't think Simon has a clue what that means, but it satisfies him!

Clare will begin kindergarten next year in our local school. We don't formulate her IEP for next year until June, but kindergarten registration starts next month. I am not sure if we get to decide between morning or afternoon, but I am aiming for morning. I feel like we just finished Clare's transition from Early Intervention into preschool, and now we're going to start transitioning from preschool into kindergarten. And with that comes a whole new list of questions and decisions. Will Clare be included in a regular kindergarten classroom? If so, will she be pulled out for services? What services will she receive? Should we aim for an extended school day? Does she need an aide? If we decide to bus again, will she be on the big school bus (in which case, absolutely not!) or still on the small bus? Is Clare ready for kindergarten? Am I ready for this? So many questions and no answers yet.

Clare has been off her blood pressure medication for two months now. She had one blood pressure reading at the endocrinologist's office which was quite high, but, other than that, her pressures have been pretty good for Clare (and almost comparable to her pressures on the meds). The school nurse takes her blood pressure twice a week for us, and we follow-up with her cardiologist in March for her six-month workup (echo, EKG, etc.). I have to say I am feeling very positive about all this. At first, I hated the idea of taking Clare off her meds. She has been on beta blockers since she was seven months old, so stopping cold turkey was scary. But it seems to be going well, and it's been very freeing (for me) to be down to only three medications a day. I always get anxious right before her cardiology appointments, though, so I know the jitters will return! In the meantime, Clare is doing well.