Oh friends... it's definitely time for a Life Lately. Since I was 100 percent MIA last week!
First off .... HAPPY HALLOWEEN! So glad this day is here... my kids have had a countdown. Apparently this is their new favorite holiday! We have a busy day of school parties and trick or treating this evening. We will be slash I will be ready for bed at 8:30 pm!
I'd also like to start this post off by saying that if I had five extra hours to get Two Dots, LipSense and blog work accomplished, I'd really be feeling on top of the world! Sadly, I don't have the power to extend my day any more than I do... which means that sometimes, one of those three things has to take a back burner.
It has been LipSense for a few months, but starting November 1, I'm announcing a new monthly giveaway and going to start sending out samples of samples of other products in our SeneGence family for those intrigued.
Two Dots took a backseat all summer until September and now I'm working my fanny off to make it better and bigger. Making it better isn't as hard as making it bigger. I feel clueless as to how to stretch our fanbase without asking everyone to share our social media pages constantly. Which I don't want to do. So... I'm brainstorming a lot. I don't want to think negatively but I know that if we stay 'stagnant', Two Dots will probably have to close it's imaginary doors. Which is sad to think about and something I don't want to have to think about. SO... I won't! I'll figure it out! :)
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| Me, ubering to Stylemax, a local Chicago trade market to look for clothes for Two Dots! :) |
And thank goodness!
To say we knew very little about Montessori was an understatement! I think he felt pretty upbeat about how the kids are being taught with only a few questions that he hadn't gotten answered when he came home. It's definitely a different world than what these two small town public school kids are used to. But luckily for Sloane and Reece, they really don't know much of a difference except that there aren't desks to sit at... they just have their own personal rugs.
So hippie, right?! :)
Sloane is doing well. We are most proud that she is finally remembering kids names, which is a real struggle for her! I still sometimes worry when I look out the window and I see her kind of wandering around the playground by herself during recess. I wonder if we've done the right thing by moving them so much. But right or wrong, it's a part of our life and our journey right now. I pray that it makes her a stronger and braver kid in the long run. And I hope we eventually can get to our forever home so she can make some forever friends.
And Reece.
Oh Reece.
Despite the constant worry I have for him in certain areas, being social and friendly is not one of them. This kid will walk up to complete strangers, say hello, ask them how they are, tell them his name and then proceed to tell him the names of everyone around him... "my mom, my dad, my girlfriend Sloane..."
Just last week his teacher had responded to an email I had sent her and finished it off by telling me how proud of him she was. He has some small meltdowns every once in awhile, but she has found a way to make them minor. And his hugs and smile make her day better.
So... there is a chance my son might be a school janitor (I mean... I could be a great school janitor) or he might be rocket scientist. But either way, he will be the friendliest one you will ever meet! :)
I meet with the special education coordinator and his teacher this week to go over his IEP plan and see what needs to be adjusted with that. This kid is saying bigger words than his sister so I'm not sure if speech will be what needs to be tackled anymore. He is getting one-on-one reading help daily, which is nice. Other than that, we are constantly working on sight words and he is obsessed with making signs and hanging them up all over the basement.
Not sure what they say, but... they are up!
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| He was very upset he didn't have homework like Sloane so Matt gave him some homework... he took it very seriously! :) |
It's exhausting! ;)
We've spent some time at the pediatrician lately as well as a kidney ultrasound last week. Apparently she has two tubes running from one of her kidneys to her bladder rather than just one which is causing her to have some small issues. We meet with a urologist in a few weeks to see what we need to do. I'm just praying its not surgery! But we will cross that river when we come to it.
We've had lots of visitors lately -- Matt's dad and girlfriend came up a few weekends ago and then Michael and his girlfriend Jami came this last weekend. Jami found the magic touch with Tess because Tess gladly would sit in her lap and hang out. Which doesn't easily happen for many! :)
Michael, if you are reading this (which I'm sure you will get to at some point)... we love her and I need her as my sister-in-law. No pressure. ;)
We have one free weekend before I head to Kansas City with all of Two Dots in tow to attend the Gift Gallery for the second year in a row. We had a BLAST there last year and are so excited to attend again! The vendors are LEGIT people - if you are in the KC area and need to get some Christmas shopping done, make a stop at the Cure of Ars Catholic School off of 95th and Mission in Leawood, Kan. You will not be sorry!
Lauren, Sam, Perry and Cohen come up right when I get back from KC and then my best friend arrives after that until the Wednesday of Thanksgiving, followed my parents for Thanksgiving!
Busy. Busy. Busy.
And I prefer it that way!
XXOO,
Allyson
Poor Tess!
ReplyDeleteI have had that exact conversation with many strangers (and friends) about Anna. "Don't worry, the looks she gives her family members are actually worse."