Rite of Passage

One distinct memory I have from when I was real young was cutting my hair.  I just wanted to see what it was like and then immediately felt horribly guilty, as I knew I'd just done something I shouldn't have.  I slowly walked out of the playroom, hoping mom and dad wouldn't notice.  But they did. Apparently it looked something like this.

Anyway, Sam recently cut her hair at school because her "hair was in her face." Luckily
1) it just looks like she has bangs now
2) we can still pull it to the side with a clip (we were growing out the bangs)

I guess the boy next to her had hair in his face as well, as she helped him out too.  Luckily

1) the boy had long shaggy hair, so you couldn't really tell
2) the parents thought it was hilarious.  They even saved the 3 inch clipping.

But Sam didn't see the humor in it and decided to color on the wall to vent her frustration.

What can I say, it's been a rough couple of weeks with me living on the couch and Daddy in charge.

I wonder if she'll remember it later in life too, minus the horrible embarrassment. 

Classic

Picture has nothing to do with post. 

Sam "fell" off a chair and was wailing a little too loud for the bump she endured. She was crying and working on some tears when she glanced out the window.  She stopped, gasped and pointed outside, "LOOK!  A squirrel!"

Expiration October 1st

More background to come when I can function again...

Progress?

A behavioral therapist recently pulled all the idiosyncrasies of Samantha together to help us be better understand why Sam is..."different" (her migraines, hour-long night screaming fits, waking up screaming since infancy, food sensitivities, light sensitivities, etc) and how to be better parents.  So far everything we work on she responds wonderfully to.  She's able to play rather than lining toys up and forbidding everyone from touching them, she sleeps through the night (90% of the time) and can calm herself down when she gets into one of her fits (not tantrums- Lord I wish they were just tantrums) about her socks/carseat buckle/touching sand and sometimes just because.

Anyway last night we saw some progress in how she calms down from her night fits.  We hadn't seen one in about 3 weeks so that in itself was an improvement.  I almost called the therapist at midnight to tell him what happened, I was so excited.  I put her back in her pack and play while she was flailing (don't ask- it's the only place she'll sleep right now...we're working on it...) and told her I'd give her her puppy blanket back when she apologized to Daddy for screaming at him.  She threw a huge fit, kicking, screaming til she was hoarse, etc...but she stayed in her bed until she was done!!  Then she came in to our room calmly and apologized to Jeremy.  This is HUGE.  And finally, when I gave her the puppy back and told her to go to back to bed she skipped off happily and curled up under her blankets.

I laid there for quite a while trying to process what had just happened.  The therapist said that eventually we would see progress at night just by working on her fits during the day and I saw it right there first hand.  The night screaming ended under 30 minutes from start to finish- a new record.  And she did most of the work for us (ie calming herself down).

Unfortunately, that was when the bad news started.  Jeremy and I went back to sleep around midnight and at 1:30am we wake up to hear her in the hallway.  Apparently she never actually went to sleep.  I couldn't help but crack up when Jeremy told me she had every surface in the hallway and bathroom covered in blankets and towels and whatnot, claiming she was making "beds" for her animals.

So for an hour and a half she played quietly by herself.  Why can't she do that during the DAY?

Wearing a too-small swimsuit over JEANS-- big improvement on the texture sensitivity front :)

Baby steps, Kim...baby steps.

Reality

My first year teaching full-time I had six preps- four math and two Spanish.  It was a 45 minute commute and I taught a total of 50 students. 

And it. was. marvelous.  

The kids were amazing.  The faculty, though small, was dedicated.  Most had a commute like myself.  But the community was amazing. 

Some of my students made me laugh so hard while they were apologizing for not doing their homework- just like every other day.  And even though I was only five years older than most of them, my "authority" was never an issue.  They were so respectful and kind.

It was only one year, but few of them really tugged on my heart.  I loved them like my own siblings. 

One of those special ones died today. 

I've never wanted to turn back the clock more than now, just to see him strut into class with his silly mischievous grin again.

Noodles

Today we celebrated a snow day by having a much needed play date with the cousins (the "needed" part was for Becca and myself).

The calm lasted the typical 2 minutes and then Samantha came running into the living room crying, with Kahlan quickly in toe, her signature frown in place.

"Kahlan is trying to eat my noodles!"

"Amantha not sharing!"

Samantha is clutching a small bowl from the play kitchen.  I quickly realize that Samantha is not wanting to share her imaginary noodles, as the bowl is in fact, empty.

"Samantha," I narrow my eyes, "you have to share your noodles with Kahlan. Just give her a bite."
Samantha quickly scoops up the 'noodles' and gobbles them up.

"They're all gone." She says with a semi-lamenting air.

"Samantha, that was very rude," I then scoop some 'noodles' from my lap and place them in her bowl,

"There, Mommy is sharing. Now you have more. "

"No," she frowns, and with a flick of her wrist she dumps the 'noodles' on the floor.

I turn my head to hide my smile, only to see Becca duck her head in giggles.  I turn back to Samantha, "That was very naughty.  You pick them up now, put them back in the bowl and share with Kahlan."

After a few more whines and protesting, she picks up the 'noodles' and half-hazardly tosses them into the bowl. Then she reluctantly offers them to her cousin.

Kahlan, confused by the whole scene, hesitantly takes a bite.

In hindsight, I can't blame her.  After all, the 'noodles' had touched the floor.

Kids Say

Sam tonight in the bathtub:
"Wow, this water is big!"
"Yes, it is deep, isn't it!"
"Yeah...dolphins can swim in it."
"Dolphins can swim in the deep water in the bathtub?"
"Yeah...and probably sharks and mermaids too."


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Getting out of the bathtub:
"Ah! I'm cold I'mcold imcoldimcoldimcoldimcold!'
"Well stop moving at a snails pace and I'll get the towel on you!"
"Mommy I cannot stop moving the snails FACE."