Parent/Teacher Conferences

Wednesday and Thursday I had Parent/Teacher conferences with Raia and Errol's teachers. I always enjoy these conferences. I love hearing how other adults see my children. How do they interpret their little quirks? What do my kids do for them that they don't do for me? How do they interact with their peers when mom and dad aren't around? How do they act when completely removed from their regular home and family environment?

Even when the comments may not be positive, I still love to hear it, because it let's me gauge how I'm doing at the whole parenting thing. If my kids are just as outgoing outside the home as they are inside the home, then hopefully that bodes well for the confidence and positive self-image I'm trying to instill in them. If they're more introverted then that means I may need to work on the positive reinforcement and letting them know even more about my love for them and who they are. You carry your home with you in your heart.

On Wednesday Errol's teachers came to our home for our conference. Raia was at school and I'd just gotten a computer game going for Errol. He was NOT happy that they were there. He knew he didn't have school this week, and I think he thought they'd come to drag him to class. LOL He started crying when they got here, and when they came inside I had to assure him that he could keep playing his game. Our computer is in our bedroom which opens up off the livingroom (where the teachers were) and when I told him he could go back to playing his game while I talked to his teachers he yelled "Shut the door!" as I walked out. Silly kid.

His teachers said he's doing great and progressing towards his goals. Aparently he's been using the potty pretty consistantly there, but hardly ever uses it here at home. I'm hoping to re-start potty training during Christmas break and hopefully send Errol back to school in January in underpants. *cross fingers*

I went to Raia's school on Thursday for her conference. Her teacher had taken the day off so she could do the conferences, and her class had a substitute: a 6'6" man. The teacher had told the class the day before that they would have a sub, and told them who it was (he's pretty well known) and a few of the kids freaked out. But not Raia. Raia had come home from school that day excitedly telling me that she was going to have a "giant for her teacher" on Thursday.

Raia is meeting all her goals and is at grade level, and even far above her classmates in areas like reading. (proud mommy moment right there, hearing that!) I also got her updated IEP, and she's mastered all but one of her goals! We have a meeting set up with the school psychologist on December 1st to go over their new evaluation of Raia. They'll either talk about new concerns that they think she should continue to recieve services for, or she'll be deemed a "typical kid" (as if. LOL) and she'll no longer have an IEP! As excited as I am to possibly finally get to hear that Raia is all caught up in her speach and communications skills, I know she will be sooooo sad that she won't be able to ride the bus to school any more. Only the kids recieving services get to ride it. Everyone else either walks or is dropped off by mom and dad. (and I'll admit that *I'll* be sad that she won't be riding the bus any more either because that means dropping George off at work every morning in order to have the car. joy.) But such is life. And she wasn't going to be riding the bus next year anyway.