Filling you in...

So, I was asked again tonight about the school situation - how it was going - for the two youngest. When I was sort, of a "smart" with my caller, and she informed me that I have failed to ever even mention it on my blog...

Thus, let me fill you in...and, I will do my best to keep the REALLY LONG and SUPER EMOTIONAL story short and to the point...

G has been having trouble at his school for more than a year. We LOVED it when he was little; however, once he was moved up to the preschool room, things deteriorated in a big way...FAST! First, he was moved up before he was 3 (because he was advanced) to a room with some that were almost closer to 6! The room has more than 10 boys, gone through several teachers, is not well organized, etc. This year, in his second full year of being in that classroom, coupled with his boredom (lack of being challenged), G began to behave in a very negative way.

He was getting in trouble daily at school and was exhibiting behaviors there he rarely, if ever, exhibited at home. And, as this year progressed, additional disturbing behaviors/habits began to appear...For example, he became obsessed with having a pacifier at school (something that had not been used there in well over a year), was wetting his bed two and three times a night, refusing to walk into his classroom (bursting into tears each morning at the door), having horrible melt-downs more than once a day, running and hiding when he was spoken to, etc.

As parents we toggled...Was it us? Was it something he was going through? Was it something that was going on at home? Was it something that was going on at school? And, all the while we were overwhelmed with guilt. He held ourselves accountable for every possible scenario.

Watching him all spring and paying careful attention to some clues we had been given, we came to the conclusion that something was going on at school to trigger these negative behaviors. Therefore, after Spring Break we began visiting the school (at odd times) to monitor G and his learning situation there.

While we will NOT ever excuse some of G's inappropriate behaviors, we also quickly realized that it was the environment in which he had been placed that could have easily been causing the trouble he was experiencing. Yet, again, we toggled...Do we pull him and start him in a new school this close to the end of an academic year, or do we wait it out and seek other opportunities beginning in August?

Just when we had decided to wait it out (that there was something to be said about consistency) G gets in trouble again at school for "kicking a teacher." Now, we were LIVID with him, but when he explained the situation (being scared of being held down again), we could not help but to also be angry at the school. G had told us about being "held down" before, but we had only 1/2-heartedly accepted his story...after all, he is 4, and he does have an incredibly vivid imagination!

Yet, on one of our visits after Spring Break, I had witnessed for myself the "holding down" and as G explained this particular incident, we decided that enough was enough and made the decision to pull both he and Ballerina immediately.

Great decision...but, it was Tuesday, and we had NO CLUE what we were going to do with the kids for the rest of the school year! So, Eric and both took a day off work and went searching for something...anything...to work until something more permanent could be established. However, I have always said that the Lord works in mysterious ways, and that He truly DOES have a perfect plan...

We had visited more than 10 schools and put the kids on more than 5 waiting lists, but in a random conversation with a friend of mine at school she suggested that I visit the Catholic school located NEXT DOOR to my school. I, of course, had not even considered the school...1) because we are not Catholic and 2) because I had heard about some negative state reports they had received. But, when you are in desperation, you do things you typically would not do...

I walked next door and checked it out...

Less than and hour later G and Ballerina were both enrolled, I had paid for the 1st month, met the teachers, filled out paperwork...I loved the certified teacher in G's age-specific classroom, the cameras I could view at any time, the GREAT inspection reports, the meals they provided, the longer hours, the friendliness of the staff and their willingness to help in my bad situation...and the greatest part...THEY RANDOMLY had spots for BOTH kids beginning IMMEDIATELY!

He does have a plan...

I promise to keep this short, so...Without much explaining, I am thrilled to report that G has done a literal 180 since we enrolled him a month ago. I think we have had 1 incident of wetting the bed, the pacifier is gone again, and I can recall 2 behavior situations he has had at school (one playing with the lights in the restroom and the other "wrestling' with his best buddy on the playground). SO, age-appropriate behaviors! He bolts out of the car each morning because he wants to get to his class "early, he gets excited about activities he is learning, he sings "crazy songs" he learns, he has written MANY new words and reading many more, he gets mad when we pick him up early, he shares prayers...the list could go on and on!

As parents, our heart aches that we did not make the move earlier, but we have had to accept the fact again that He knows best and that there was a reason!

Last week G has his SECOND PERFECT week at school! He got ALL of his stickers EVERY day of the week, and as a reward he was able to purchase some new "soccer stuff." Consider yourself filled-in on the school situation for now... :) Anything else you wanted to know? Ha!