I can't believe how long it's been since I've updated. The start to this school year was really hectic and I still don't seem to quite have my groove. I'm expecting to fall into a predictable schedule by .... the beginning of June...just in time to adjust to summer! LOL

Where did I leave off? My wonderful trip to Wyoming that it is behind me! This year, we quickly left what little summer we did get, skipped over Fall and entered straight into winter.

The first snow fell on October 9th. We have continued to have flurries that come and eventually melt away since then. I'm not ready.

Andrew started school 2 weeks before the others and though we got off to a good start, he quickly fell back into feeling unhappy socially. Academically he is doing better than I could have ever hoped. We just had conferences and has straight A's except for band ... and theology. His physics teacher called him exceptionally gifted and an incredible abstract thinker ... He described to me one day how he had given the class a theoretical problem and told them that they would learn how to work through solving this over the next several weeks. Apparently, the problem had an answer and Andrew suddenly piped up with "23". The teacher told me he was stunned and asked Andrew how he got the answer. Andrew described his thought processes and the teacher told me he was completely speechless about how he had figured it out...but that Andrew had been right. His teacher then confided in me that he had gone to Andrew's 8th grade science teacher and asked "is this how Andrew is? He seems like he's not paying attention at ALL, then blurts out an answer like this without prompting that boggles the mind and is right?" His 8th grade science teacher said "That's Andrew."

I should be happy about that, but ... in fact ... it brings me very little joy. Yay MIT, right? Not so fast. He has no friends at school. He is completely isolated and feels miserable and alone. His teacher told me it doesn't surprise him. Kids like Andrew are "different".

I would give up everything for him to be a B student and have friends that he could hang around. He is so truly, truly miserable and unhappy because he can't fit in that it scares me.

Amanda started 8th great and has done well socially so far. There have been the ups and downs that I expect with teen-age girls, but she has maintained her weight gain and looks great. For the most part, I would say that she is doing well....and then...there's Amanda's conference...where I found out that she is being put back in pre-algebra because she hadn't turned in her last 12 algebra assignments and had gotten F's on her first 2 tests.

Ummm. Yah. She has an A in language arts. Should I celebrate that? sigh. It feels like it is always something! I am very happy that she is doing well emotionally, but you know...I would prefer less texting/facebook/phone calling and more studying. (See how I can never be happy! LOL) In any case, final grades come out soon and then she has been warned that she may lose her cell phone and all social privileges until the next 6 weeks.

And then there is Alex. He has decided that he definitely wants to go to Andrew's school next year and knows he has to apply and interview there. All of a sudden, Mr. Lazy is taking AR reading tests, getting all of his homework in on time and is even telling me to turn down the music when I'm in the kitchen cleaning so that he can read. Alex! Read voluntarily? Hallelujah! I'm still holding my breath, but he has been consistent for awhile. He has joined knowledge bowl and has a girlfriend too (whom he told me excitedly ... has ... boobs ... . I truly did not know how to respond to that. He is in 5th grade for Pete's sake!)

Aidan is having a great year so far in Kindergarten at the Montessori. He is doing well in reading and math and I have no concerns. The teachers are really happy with him (and that is saying a lot because the teachers this year seem to be real sticklers!!!) I am paying for him to stay for lunch and 1 hour of play time each day and he loves it. He is also in the same class as Zoe and the teachers said that they sometimes have to separate them because Aidan always wants to go over and help her. I just love that. I love, love, love it that he wants to take care of her so much. He has such a big heart!

And Zoe...hmmmm. Yes, she started preschool! It was bittersweet, but I was definitely ready for some down time! She has had some trouble adjusting and apparently her tantrums at school involve her screaming for me at the TOP OF HER LUNGS! Aidan told me he pretends like he doesn't know her when she does this. If she gets frustrated or upset, she tells the teachers to call me to pick her up because I am supposedly at home crying my eyes out. LOL She has a fairly low frustration tolerance and has had to sit in the time out chair many times. They have also noticed a few minor neurodevelopmental things again .... and ... apparently, she likes to scratch her butt when it itches by putting her hands underneath her clothes. This really bothers the young teachers who have told me on both occasions that it has happened ... as if it was something terribly dirty! LOL I laughed it off.... It seems like I hear a lot of Zoe stories from the teachers! It's going to be an interesting year!

I also registered for a class again this Fall. I decided on a Chemistry review course because it has been so long since I've had any formal chemistry. I don't even know why I'm doing this, but I have to say that I am having a great time. My lab partner is a mom with 3 small children and we get together 2 mornings a week for a "study group" which basically involves us bringing our books and then chatting about life, motherhood and everything else instead of studying. But I'm glad...really glad!

I'm not sure where I'm headed when it comes to school anymore. I have decided to take one of the forensic chemistry classes in the spring because it fits my schedule and sounds really interesting. I guess I'm just sort of trying to find where I'm going to fit in the next few years once Zoe is in school.

I have also been doing a lot of volunteering at Andrew's school including set up for the Fall event and cooking one evening for Oktoberfest.

Beyond that, I have had lingering health issues which are a concern. I had some problems while in Wyoming and since then have not felt well. It's a long story, but ended with me seeing a different pulmonologist here and getting a diagnosis based on my CT scans etc. She said I have some narrowing of my main right bronchus and may have some damage to blood vessels in the chest causing perfusion problems (but we'd have to do a ventilation/perfusion scan to show it for sure). I have felt bad and agreed to a lower dose of prednisone for a 5 day starting point.

I felt better on day 3 and so (bad me) I decided to discontinue it because I have lost 45 pounds now and am so concerned about weight gain. I did ok for a couple of days and am now more sick than I was before. I even debated an ER trip one night but decided to tough it out until morning. Now I'm back on the steroids an am unhappy about it...but I feel so yucky that I am going to stick it out this time. I will be visiting the pulmonologist again on Tuesday and hopefully this time since I'm sticking with it, the drug will do the trick and I'll feel better/be better/not gain weight and be able to get off of this junk. So. Not. A. Fan. Of. Steroids!

Thomas and I have been doing really well for the most part. He has been letting me have time to myself every Wed. afternoon (which is his afternoon off) and ... we seem to just in a good place with each other lately. He is helping me so much with the kids and things around the house. We seem to be in tune with each other's needs right now. It's a good place to be.

So...I'll end with the pictures that we took from Oktoberfest this past weekend. This has become an annual treat for me!


Thomas and I before we left. Andrew couldn't figure out how to work the Camera! LOL


Julia and I getting ready to go!


The food was mediocre, but the company was great! Barb and I on the way out the door!

Kris