So much has happened this summer that I don't know where to begin. Declan started a speech therapy group which is mostly boys. They had 2 hours a week and went on field trips each week to different places: the town's historical museum, swimming, park, and library. He missed the trip to the restaurant because of his tonsil removal. Which was another big event of the summer. Apparently removing the tonsils and adenoids can
*help a person with their sleep (he has trouble falling asleep, and trouble going back to sleep when he wakes up EVERY NIGHT),
*make eating more of a priority (he rarely eats because they are swollen)
*allows him to lead a normal life because he isn't battling strep throat anymore (the past 2 times he had it it was back to back for 20 days of medication).
Elyse had the opportunity to attend a grant-funded school program for the summer that mixed summer camp with learning. She hated it after 2 days complaining that it felt too much like school. So, she joined Declan and Cassie for their 2nd year at the Recreation Department's summer camp. They attend the smallest one so there were only 10 children. They also went on many field trips: movies, mimi-golf, kayaking, bowling, Ferry Beach, a water ski show, wild animal presentation, and a dog training show just to name a few. Summer camp allowed them to stay on a schedule while enjoying all that summer had to offer!
She was also given a scholarship to attend a fantastic overnight camp for the week. Unfortunately the last week of day-camp she caught lice from someone and even though we tried 3 times to get her back into the overnight camp she still wasn't allowed to attend.
Elyse's biggest highlight by far was turning double digits this summer! She tells everyong she meets.
Ever since Declan was born she has been on a mission to have her own room and now that we have moved, she has been happily decorating and settling into her new room. She even had 2 friends sleep over for her birthday which is something we absolutely could not have done in any of our past residences!
Then there's Cassie. Our little wonder-girl whose imagination brings all sorts of things to life. Her ability to take the ordinary and to imagine what it could be amaze us every day. So much life and love in this little girl!
The end of Cassie's school year brought us to the end of an emotional journey that we all just barely survived. Cass was constantly bullied by a little girl in her class along with 3 others who were looking for trouble. By the end of the school year she went to bed in tears, begged to stay home from school and was on anxiety medication twice a day. We were at a loss. The school said they had a no tolerance policy, but kept allowing this to happen.
So, Cassie spent her summer at weekly counseling. Deanna is an amazing woman with a kind voice and warm heart. Cassie loves to go see her and has worked really hard this summer to stop baby-talking when she feels that things are out of her control, whining, and inciting Declan to fury! She earned a Webkinz and reminds herself that it can be taken away unless she follows the rules. She is slowly learning to stand up for herself and we are seeing a new confidence in her! We hope that by next year she will be off the anxiety meds!
Completely by God's Divine Intervention we met a school counselor at Elyse's school who is also a counselor at Declan's school. We told her what had been happening to Cassie, and she made it her mission to get Cassie out of the local elementary school and back to Declan's school. Cass has made it through the first week of school with no tears! She is with old friends from Kindergarten who are the sweetest things and she has been blessed with a 2nd grade teacher who doesn't believe in yelling. We thank God for the school counselor who fought on our behalf for Cass!
*help a person with their sleep (he has trouble falling asleep, and trouble going back to sleep when he wakes up EVERY NIGHT),
*make eating more of a priority (he rarely eats because they are swollen)
*allows him to lead a normal life because he isn't battling strep throat anymore (the past 2 times he had it it was back to back for 20 days of medication).
Elyse had the opportunity to attend a grant-funded school program for the summer that mixed summer camp with learning. She hated it after 2 days complaining that it felt too much like school. So, she joined Declan and Cassie for their 2nd year at the Recreation Department's summer camp. They attend the smallest one so there were only 10 children. They also went on many field trips: movies, mimi-golf, kayaking, bowling, Ferry Beach, a water ski show, wild animal presentation, and a dog training show just to name a few. Summer camp allowed them to stay on a schedule while enjoying all that summer had to offer!
She was also given a scholarship to attend a fantastic overnight camp for the week. Unfortunately the last week of day-camp she caught lice from someone and even though we tried 3 times to get her back into the overnight camp she still wasn't allowed to attend.
Elyse's biggest highlight by far was turning double digits this summer! She tells everyong she meets.
Ever since Declan was born she has been on a mission to have her own room and now that we have moved, she has been happily decorating and settling into her new room. She even had 2 friends sleep over for her birthday which is something we absolutely could not have done in any of our past residences!
Then there's Cassie. Our little wonder-girl whose imagination brings all sorts of things to life. Her ability to take the ordinary and to imagine what it could be amaze us every day. So much life and love in this little girl!
The end of Cassie's school year brought us to the end of an emotional journey that we all just barely survived. Cass was constantly bullied by a little girl in her class along with 3 others who were looking for trouble. By the end of the school year she went to bed in tears, begged to stay home from school and was on anxiety medication twice a day. We were at a loss. The school said they had a no tolerance policy, but kept allowing this to happen.
So, Cassie spent her summer at weekly counseling. Deanna is an amazing woman with a kind voice and warm heart. Cassie loves to go see her and has worked really hard this summer to stop baby-talking when she feels that things are out of her control, whining, and inciting Declan to fury! She earned a Webkinz and reminds herself that it can be taken away unless she follows the rules. She is slowly learning to stand up for herself and we are seeing a new confidence in her! We hope that by next year she will be off the anxiety meds!
Completely by God's Divine Intervention we met a school counselor at Elyse's school who is also a counselor at Declan's school. We told her what had been happening to Cassie, and she made it her mission to get Cassie out of the local elementary school and back to Declan's school. Cass has made it through the first week of school with no tears! She is with old friends from Kindergarten who are the sweetest things and she has been blessed with a 2nd grade teacher who doesn't believe in yelling. We thank God for the school counselor who fought on our behalf for Cass!
1 comment:
Hi Browns,
Do we know you? I'm wondering where in Maine you are. Do you go to our church in East Waterboro? I enjoyed reading your blog. My neice Kara had hers out, and it helped so much, but the doctor embarrassed her by saying, "Now you'll get some breasts." after the tonsils were out. She was apparently slow to develop because her body was fighting illness all the time.
Vicki Young,
Post a Comment