Second Grade

The summer went by so fast!!! Jordan had a tutor that helped him with his reading so he was able to pass the test and become a 2nd grader!! His tutor was fantastic!! Jordan also met with a child psychologist weekly. Her focus is to teach him impulse control as kids with A.D.H.D. typically dont have those skills. She is teaching him how to play chess. I thought that was brilliant! He seems to be benefiting from the sessions so we will continue into the school year.

I really like his teacher this year. She sees him for the great little man he is and what he CAN do. She doesn't judge him by what labels are on his profile paperwork. I appreciate that. She holds him accountable but doesn't punish him for things he can't control. That is how it is supposed to be. I believe she will be one of the teachers he remembers for life, In a good way.

I am excited for him as I know this year will be a turning point. I believe this year will be a positive experience for him. It is a welcomed change from last year. This year, he is excited daily to go to school. Jordan is doing well.Life is good!!

Happy rebirth day Kyle

Five years ago tonight, Kyle went into surgery for his heart transplant. The surgery started at ten p.m.. It was completed around five a.m. so technically his rebirth day is March 3rd.Part of me cannot believe it has been five years. The other part of me feels like it was just yesturday.Looking back to that day, I never imagined his life would ever be so full again. Thankfully, it is. Because of the wonderful team at M.U.S.C., Kyle has experienced all the joys and sorrows of the last five years. Some family members have passed on and our family has been blessed with new arrivals, weddings, graduations, relocations and new jobs. I will be forever grateful to Daniel for honoring Shannons final wishes to be an organ donor.All but 12 states in the nation require a family members authorization for a person to be a donor. Even if it on the donors license, the family has the final say in 38 states. Discuss your final wishes and your thoughts on organ donation with your families as I don't know which states require family approval. Thank you Daniel. Your gift of life has not been wasted.

The Cat

Jordan and I have wanted a cat for some time. We could not have a cat in our old house as it would have been a snack for the resident dog . Lovable dog to humans, not to cats.When we moved to our townhouse, One of the first things Jordan asked me was when are we getting our cat? "You said when we have our own house we will get a cat", Jordan said.It amazes me how he can't remember instruction from five minutes ago but when it comes to pets, he is on it!! At first, I was able to talk him into fish. We compromised. He wanted a cat, I suggested fish, We settled on miniature catfish. Honestly, I didn't know there was such a thing. The only thing I ever knew about catfish is they were great with tarter sauce and fries.. Silly me. I went to the humane society in search of the cat. The needs were simple, as per the landlord. The cat had to be declawed. Once we were in the shelter, we asked if there were any declawed cats. Only one. She is a gray stripped tabby. A chunky monkey. She weighs 14 pounds. I instantly fell in love with this cat. Her motor purrs all the time. After signing all the paperwork, we now have a cat. She is very pleasant and lovable. Her name changes daily. Thats ok as cats are really on their terms, not yours. They come when they want , not when you call. Day one..wispers, day two..whiskers..day three squeekers. I don't know what her name will end up as but I am glad we have her in our life.Jordan will let me know what her name is, I hope. He is at other nanas today so I called her squeekers, she came to me. I probably could have said, come here Bob. Bob, come her girl, and gotten the same response..............

She turns 30 tomorrow

My new Daughter turns thirty tomorrow. I am so excited for her!! I got her when she was twenty-nine, actually nineteen, officially twentynine. She is an amazing woman.
I first met her when she was fresh out of high school. About to embark on a new faze of life, college.The excitement in her voice when she spoke of her plans for her future and the enthusiasm shown for all she planned was a joy to behold. As the years have passed, I have had the pleasure of watching this teen just starting out on her own, become the confident, considerate, capable woman she is today. I wish her a very happy birthday. My son is blessed to be able to say this woman is his wife. I am honored to call her my daughter. I have always wanted one. I have always wanted the one to be her.Happy Birthday Elizabeth Michael Speidel.

Toothfairy to visit the new house

The toothfairy will visit tonight. This will be the first visit in our new house. I have assured Jordan the toothfairy will know where we live since we have moved. He wanted to know just how big the fairy is. I estimated the fairy to be about four inches, Jordan agreed. I am thankful the fairy dust made it here. It wouldn't be the same without the dust.Life through the eyes of a six year old is the best!!!! I am thankful. I hope everyone has a little fairy dust in their day to make the smiles brighter. Love from the Carolinas

First Grade, Here We Come!!

I registered Jordan for first grade last Monday. Where did the summer go? I am excited for him to be starting school in two weeks. Jordan is looking forward to seeing his friends that he missed over the summer break.We have been using the flash cards I made of the high frequency words he learned in kindergarten. I am hoping he didn't forget too much info over the last nine weeks. The principal of Jordans school is absolutely wonderful. I was able to speak with her during registration. We agreed on a plan for his placement and she asked me to keep in DAILY communication with HER personally. She has some concerns on whether the new teacher will be the best fit for Jordans needs. She assured me that she will take whatever steps neccessary to make sure Jordan is in the best environment for his developement.I have total confidence in this principal. Our school is truly fortunate to have her.
It is amazing at what a difference a year makes. I remember last year, being filled with angst and fear of Jordan going to "big boy school". The faculty and staff are great. I quickly learned they truly care about the kids. Jordan was blessed with a wonderful kindergarten teacher. I believe she made the difference for him to like or dislike his new adventure. I hope he is as lucky this year with his new teacher. My stress has been eased knowing how focused Ms. Colliver {principal} is to make sure Jordan is set up for success. I think everyone learned a little last year. I learned about the schools' commitment toward education. They learned about mine for Jordan.

Toothfairy

Jordans first tooth fell out while at school on friday, April 23. His teacher allowed him to leave a message on my cell phone so I would be aware of the exciting event that had occured.
Jordan goes to the other grandparents house on Fridays and doesn't come home until Sunday.Luckily for us, I have the toothfairy's phone number and was able to call and let her know Jordan would not be home that night. The toothfairy told me that sometimes, under special circumstances, she picks up teeth during daylight hours. Having that knowledge, Jordan and I came home to wait for his grandpa to pick him up .We placed the tooth in the special container Nana got at the Hallmark Gold Crown store. We put the tooth container atop of a pillow with a dark blue pillow case and went outside to play. After enjoying the afternoon sun, Jordan and Nana came inside to get ready for his papoo to pick him up.Jordan went in his room to find the magical surprise of fairy dust covering the blue pillow case!!!He touched the pillow case with his little hands and softly wispered,"Wow!! Thats Awsome". Silver glitter was covering his cheeks. Tonight, the toothfairy will visit again as another tooth fell out at school. The toothfairy can stick to the normal pick up schedule as today is Monday and Jordan will be sleeping at home. I am looking forward to the morning so I can see his little face light up when he yells, " Nana, Look!!! , the toothfairy was here!!!"