If Home Is Where Your Heart Is. . . .

and the MOTIVATION!!! I really have appreciated everyone's encouragement as I navigate these unknown waters! Thanks to all of you professionals who are giving me facts. Thank you for all of you prayer warriors who are praying. Thank you for all you moms who are encouraging me! Thank you! I am anxious about our meeting today, but I feel more prepared to go in and fight to the point I need to fight and then to make some decisions if I hit a wall. My husband is in New York and won't be at the meeting which is a little overwhelming, but I'm going to stay calm (not cry), lift my head up, open my ears and my mind and hopefully work something out! I appreciate each on of you!!! I am humbled by your love from afar!!! THANK YOU!!!

Well, I just picked the kids up from school: Hays, Maggie and my sweet happy (oblivious) Tiki. His teacher wants to have a meeting with me tomorrow and the counselor and principal and whoever else is also invited. She is very frustrated with him and after three days in the class room, I think she is ready to give up and make me put him in Kindergarten. I do not want to be one of those parents who fights a stupid battle, and I understand why she thinks he isn't ready for first grade (he isn't--he isn't ready for pre school at this point), but I don't think putting in Kindergarten will solve his problems. . .the Kindergarteners are past his level by now. I shouldn't be jumping to conclusions. I should be more steady like my mom and just wait and see what they have to say tomorrow. I'm just not that person. I feel like I need to emotionally prepare myself for this meeting (and go cry in the pantry now) so that I can hold it together tomorrow. I just wish I...

My mother-in-law is an amazing and crafty person! She sews almost anything I ask for! I love it! Today I received these WONDERFUL stockings! I am so excited! I "found" them in Garnet Hill last year and they were ridiculously expensive, so she MADE THEM!!! They are lined and everything!!! I love them! (There are two more--for me and Andy, but I don't have hangers for them yet.) THANK YOU, BEBE!!! YOU ARE WONDERFUL!!!!

Well, according to Tiki's teacher, today was just a little bit better. I'm going to latch on to the PROGRESS part of that statement! :) He was SOOOOOOOO excited to hop out of the car this morning and go back to school! That is all I needed! As usual, the child was not as traumatized as the mom on the first day of school!!! Maggie again checked on him several times today. She walked him to art class and stayed for a while. And again, she was at his room to pick him up after school. Dear sweet Maggie! I have gotten some great ESL websites and I am looking forward to sharing them with Tiki. We're going to continue with his homework and then work on writing numbers and letters, too. It will come. . .we just all need patience!!! Today is a beautiful day and I have evicted the kids from the house until dinner. . .not such a good idea with homework to be done, but a great idea for momma to remain sane! Thanks for the prayers! Keep them coming!!!!

Well, it is over!!! I took him to school this morning. Maggie walked with us to his class and we got Mrs. Larson, the teacher I asked for. I had heard that she is diligent and structured and that she may be good for Tiki. Anyway, I went to his classroom and stayed a while and he seemed to be doing great. He didn't seem scared. He didn't seem too overwhelmed. He was behaving and trying to participate. There were three adults in the room (not counting me) and one was helping him exclusively. I felt great about leaving him. My fears were calmed and I just knew he was going to have a great day. I went to pick him up. . . .I ran into the principal first and she told me that he kept running off all day and was running out of line and down the halls. Uh-oh! (I don't think they EVER walked in lines in Rwanda and I don't think there were many carpeted halls lined with pretty paintings and other artwork in his old school.) So, I went to talk to his teacher (he and th...

Okay, cancel that whisper! I cannot change Tiki's birthday, so I don't want the rings. Dumb. But that's how it is! :) Tiki started school today! Dropping him off was so hard on this momma, but he did super! I'm sure he is SO overwhelmed, but he did great and I cannot wait to see what his teacher has to say! I think drop off tomorrow will tell me everything. . .if he is excited to go or not! We'll see!!!

Well, I have been Christmas shopping in the comfort of my own home (only because there is no shopping in Durango. . .I'm missing the Branson outlet malls). BeBe. . .check PaPa. . .check Gran'ma. . .check Pops. . .check GoGo. . .check Andy. . .check Kids. . .stocking stuffers are more fun to buy in person (not on the internet) I have a birthday AND Christmas coming up and I am getting this beautiful table (different chairs) for the next decade worth of occasions! I love it and I cannot wait to have a table to eat at as a family (the kitchen floor is getting cold). I love my table and I am so excited to have some heirloom quality furniture! I am so proud of it! It won't be here until March, though, and I am really itching to have something in my stocking. I really want these stacking birth stone rings from Andy, so I'm blogging about it in case he reads this or in case any of his mentors read this! And. . .just to make sure we are on the same page. . .I want GOLD a...