World Down Syndrome Day and picture overload!!

Happy World Down Syndrome Day!!!

We celebrate on 3/21 since those with Down syndrome have 3 copies of the 21st chromosome.

And to represent those pretty stripey chromosomes we are wearing crazy socks!!

I tried getting a group shot of the kiddos this morning sporting their blue and yellow (Down Syndrome Awareness colors) and crazy socks, but someone wasn't in the mood to pose for a photo (Evan) and decided to head butt his sister in the process of trying to get down, which caused them both to burst into tears. :-/ Soooooooo.... photo op is postponed until this afternoon when they all get home from school..... IF I'm lucky!!

Someone else didn't mind posing after the big kids were rushed out the door....

We just celebrated "Da" Day on March 15th- the day we passed court in Russia!! Yayyyy!!!

After Mr. Evan returned home from school this morning he was in a much better mood and I was able to grab a pic.... as he was quickly prying off his socks!  This boy HATES wearing anything on his feet. 

Turkey.

Going to play picture catch up now since it has been so long since I've shared any photos here..... Going to back it up a month and breeze through snow and ice storms (BLAH!) as well as Kaylin's 11th birthday!

I cringe posting these pics because we are SOOOO over winter!!!  It's pretty bad when even the kids are sick of snow days!  They managed to have fun the first couple snow falls but after that they refused to even go outside!

I even managed to catch a smile before taking Evan inside- he really isn't a fan of the snow whatsoever.

And ice is just nobody's friend.  But it sure is pretty to look at on the trees.

Ok, on to more fun things..... Kaylin's birthday!

Her big surprise gift was a new American Girl doll from Aunt Karen!!  

Since Kaylin and her cousin have birthdays one day apart we always celebrate together, and the girls love it. :)  Lina loved helping cousin Sara open her presents!

Kaylin also enjoyed a roller skating party with her friends. :)

Yes, I made the cake- don't make fun! :-P

Kaylin also had a date with Daddy for the Me and My Guy Dance

And Mommy had a date with Daddy for his birthday present at the Caps game!! Rock the Red!!

The three older kids had a character dress up day at school- Lina was Amelia Bedelia, Justin was Melvin Beederman, and Kaylin was Queen Red Riding Hood from Land of Stories. 

aaaaaaaaaaaand... I think we are caught up!!! Well at least until the kids get home from school. ;)

IEP's and other school updates

Brushing the dust off my good friend here.... I couldn't believe my last post was from January! Ok, I sorta can....

We've been busily plugging away here, and sick of $n0w..... c'mon SPRING!!!

I just attended Evan's annual IEP meeting last week and I was soooooo nervous, which seems to have become a pattern for me when dealing with his plan.  Last year I had issues with the goals written for him as well as the amount of therapies he was receiving.  We had reached a good compromise and I was happy.  This year, I was quite pleased with most all the goals they wrote for him *WHEW* but I was super nervous about discussions of his placement for next year.

This has been Evan's second year attending the county's special education preschool program as well as his second year attending a private Christian preschool.  It was and still is high priority to me that Evan attends a *typical* preschool setting as well as receiving the therapies he needs.  Attending both these programs has created all sorts of different routines and schedules for us to follow, and it's not the most convenient for me to drive all four kiddos across town three mornings a week to take him to the special ed setting at our regional school.  My goal for next year is for Evan to attend the mainstream Pre-K class at our home school where the other kids attend- right around the corner from our home!  He will be in an inclusive setting, he will receive all his therapies there, and he can ride the bus with Lina every morning!  I used to teach this very class at another school in our county- I was on the curriculum writing committee and I even had a student with Down syndrome my last year of teaching, so I was ready for a fight!  I admit I was expecting resistance from the school staff at the regional school which is why I was so nervous.  There is one administrator there in particular whom I am not a fan of to put it lightly, and it is she who made Lina's enrollment into school so stressful last year.  Thankfully this administrator wasn't at Evan's meeting this year! Yeehaw!!

We get through all Evan's goals and discuss placement, but I notice his teacher is only addressing placement for the remainder of this school year.  IEP's are written for an entire calendar year, yet no one was addressing next school year.  Ummmm??  So I open my mouth and ask, especially since I made it known to several team members what my wishes for Evan's placement next year would be.  "Placement is a parent decision, not a team decision...." Wha???  Why couldn't anyone tell me this before?? Good grief, all this stress for nothing!  I was very glad I invited our home school principal who not only added some meaningful input but also intends to get the ball rolling to line up one-on-one support for Evan which he needs in the inclusive setting.  His private preschool was gracious enough to hire an aide for him and this has been quite beneficial.  I am sooooo looking forward to him attending our home school!!  Lina has had a wonderful experience thus far with the therapists there as well as the special ed staff- I love them all.

Some recent accomplishments for Evan:
*He knows and can name all uppercase letters as well as some if not all lowercase
*He can count consistently to 10 and sometimes to 20
*He is reading many sight words!  I need to sit down and keep track of how many he knows.

Now on to Miss Lina!  Lina just recently acquired a voice output device from school- she will be using it in school as well as at home.  It comes home with her each day.  Right now she is mainly using it during lunch and recess at school since she is still learning how to use it, especially in social settings.  If any of you are familiar with a PODD, this is just like that only in electronic format.  It has a touch screen, and unfortunately since Lina has used the iPad at home- she sees it more like a game than a communication device.  She enjoys pressing random buttons, especially the words she knows how to read.  She knows many sight words- and is actually considered on grade level with her reading!  She still struggles with rhyming words, especially since her teachers have focused on beginning sounds for so long- she seems stuck on that concept and has trouble listening to the final sounds in words. On grade level with reading sure is music to my ears though, especially considering she has only been in this country for 2 years come April 21st, and had received zero education prior to coming home. So stinkin' proud of her!!!

I will get some pics up soon I promise!!