On a Brighter Note

Stephen had to go get a physical on Wednesday of this week. He participates in a Special Olympic Field Day each year. It is not a sanctioned event, they don't get medals, it is kind of more for fun. The kids do get ribbons though. Stephen always has a good time at them. (Plus he and the other kids in the ADAPT program get to get out of school for most of the day and his classmates in the main classroom have to stay at school and work. After they get back, they get to show the other kids their ribbons and then play games till school is out.) I will try to get some pictures up here after this year's event, but it is not till 5/5 so it will be awhile yet. Anyway, I guessed before we went to the physical that he weighed 63 lbs.and was 4 1/2 feet tall. Well, when they weighed and measured him, he weighed 63 lbs. and was actually 4' 7 1/4" tall. Not bad for guesses, huh? Stephen was amazed that I got so close. What can I say, I guess I know my boy. The doctor was the master of the understatement. She said "wow, he is tall for his age." Gee, you think? At 9 1/2 years of age, 4' 7 1/4" tall is quite tall. He only has just a hair over a foot left (at 9 1/2) to catch up to me. YIKES!!!! He told me when he was younger that he was going to be as tall as his Uncle Brian (6' 4") and his Uncle Tom (6' 7"). At this rate, I think he could very well make it. Other than that his weight is normal and he is healthy. Yea!! He got a very clean bill of health to participate in his S.O. field day. The good thing about this event is that his physical is good for three years so we are good to go for awhile now.

(The picture is Stephen and T-Bone at Easter this year.)

Ever Have One of Those Days? Probably, huh.

Today was sure one of those days for me.

It started out okay. I got to work and got a couple of compliments in an email from another county employee on my writing skills. That is pretty good considering she previously told me I didn't write my 4-H monthly newsletter in the AP journalistic style. (Since I was a Kindergarten/Primary Education major in college and my free time - what there was of it - was spent at Clay County Community Theatre, it was kind of a well, duh moment.) That was about the only good thing today. (Except of course, for my Stephen!)

I left work at 10:45 a.m. to go to Stephen's IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting at school. I have to meet with his ADAPT (special ed) teacher, his occupational therapist, his speech therapist and his classroom teacher every year to revise his goals for the upcoming school year. It was going along okay until they told me they wanted to pull him out of the main classroom for math. He is already pulled out for reading, writing and spelling. He was always able to remain in the main classroom for math up until this point. It has been a strong point for him. When they announced that, I was pretty sad. I almost cried at the meeting. It is not his fault, of course. The curriculum they are using is not working too well for him. Duh, I can't stand the curriculum. It switches between topics every day and the kids are never on one topic long enough to learn it before they have to go on to something else. We were doing algebra for homework the other night and he doesn't even know his addition facts yet. Anyway, he will be getting a new curriculum that focuses on mastery more than variety. It sounds like a good fit for him. The only reason I was upset is because I felt sorry for him (and yes,I am aware it could be so much worse, so please don't remind me of that - I thank God Stephen is who he is every day) in that he was getting pulled for yet another class. He is getting older now and starting to realize how different he is from some of the other kids. Some of the lovely (heavy on the sarcasm here) children have begun to pick on him this year and told him he couldn't read. Of course, I didn't let on to him that it upset me in anyway. I made it sound exciting because it will help him learn better and it might possibly make his homework easier. He liked the idea. It will be fine, I know that. I want what's best for him. Logically, of course, I know that this is best for him in order for him to succeed and become independent. I know all that. This is not about logic. This is more from a mom's heart and not just being able to fix this for him. Logic has nothing to do with it. Those of you that are moms will understand this I am sure.

After I got back to work from that a few co-workers indavertantly, I am sure, made me a little late picking him up from school. That irritated me.

When I got to school to pick him up and take him to daycare, they had the calendar for next school year in there. This year they gave the kids a half day off every month for teacher workshops. Now, someone in their infinite wisdom (again, heavy on the sarcasm) decided to do away with those and have every Monday, yes - every single one, be a late start Monday. That means that instead of starting school at 8 like every other day, they will be starting on Mondays this summer at 9 a.m. I am a single Mom (the only chauffer in the household) and I have to be at work at 8 every morning. That made me really, really mad. They don't get our opinions, they don't say oh, by the way, we are thinking of doing this, they just go ahead and do it. They also are starting school a week earlier this year (which screws up something I was supposed to do for work that day) than they have in the past. They also forgot to send us Stephen's class picture that I ordered.

When I got back to work, I was thinking about this coming Monday issue and I broached an idea to my boss. I suggested that if I could come in on Mondays at 9 then I would take only 1/2 an hour for lunch instead of my usual hour and would work until 5 p.m. instead of 4:30 (if Stephen's daycare provider would agree also). That way, I would still be working my 8 hours and everything would still be okay. My boss said he would have to check policy. I was amazed he said that. It was not like I was just asking to come in late every Monday without making it up. I re-explained everything to him and emphasized that I would still be getting in my 8 hours, the only thing getting shorted was my lunch hour. He still would only say he would sleep on it. That irritated me too. (This is part of why I am so mad at Englewood Schools, now I am having to re-arrange my whole work schedule on Monday - if my boss will allow it - just to get my child to school.) Say some prayers that my boss lets me do it this way and doesn't give me any grief.

I have been SO tired this evening after all this that I am just drained. Now that I have probably bored you all to death, I will end this post. I know nothing is un-surmountable here and that it will all work out how God wants it to, I just needed to vent I guess.

Article on Brian's Unit

Where Things Stand: Indiana Knows Sacrifice of War After Five Years
Soldiers Dispatched to Iraq Leave a Huge Hole in One Indiana Town

By CHRIS BURY and GLEN DACYMarch 18, 2008

This is a story that was on ABC news tonight that is about the 76th, Brian's unit. Click on the link below to read the story if you would like. It doesn't mention Brian, it would take a lot of room to mention all 3,400 members of that unit, but Terre Haute is mentioned along with other towns. They actually showed the interview with the lady from Terre Haute and showed some shots of downtown. It was a good news story. I watched it with Stephen and was able to tell him that is where Uncle Brian is and those may be some of the guys he works with. I was also able to tell him that they were showing part of where Grandma (and the rest of the family) lives. He knows that place fairly well since we have been there lots of times (imagine that) and now he is really old enough to remember everything.

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=4476397&page=1

My Baby is Growing Up

Just some thoughts on growing up. My "baby" will be ten this year. YIKES!!!! Where does the time go? He is a smart aleck too. Right after he turned nine last year, he told me "just think Mom, my next birthday I'll be ten and that is two numbers!" He loves to rub that in every chance he gets. I keep telling him that I am not old enough to have a child who is almost ten. It just cracks him up because he knows it gets my goat. Of course any of you who are Moms already know exactly what I am talking about. If there is anyone reading this who will soon be a Mom, you will find out soon enough what I am talking about. Of course, I still wouldn't trade it for the world.

Another Wedding!

Well, my sister Cheryl is engaged (again)! Congrats to her and her fiance Darren! We are all guessing that she will get married sometime in 2009. Of course, no date has actually been set yet, but when has a minor technicality like that ever stopped the rest of us from guessing! This will be her second marriage. MaryAnn got married last summer to Joey. Brian got married in 2005. Tom and Nenita got married in 2002. My sisters all keep telling me that it is my turn now. I have to admit that it is kind of odd that I am the oldest and I am still single. Also, even though I know that it is not what marriage is all about, I can't help being a little jealous of my sisters and my sisters-in-law and all their beautiful rings! :) Hey, I am a girl, I like jewelery! I keep telling anyone who mentions it that I don't have time to date right now. I am not ruling it out for the long haul though. If God wants it to happen, it will. After all, 34 is not quite doomsday anymore in today's society. The pictures at the very top of the page are from Brian and Bonnie's wedding in 2005. There is one of Bonnie and Brian, one during the ceremony, and one of Stephen and my niece (Cheryl's daughter - the only girl child in our motley bunch of kids by the way) holding hands at Brian's rehearsal. Those two still remain good friends whenever we go home for a visit. The other pictures above are a couple of pics from Ann's wedding. (I am not slighting Cheryl or Tom, I didn't have my digital camera yet when Cheryl got married and I have not had time to scan the hard copies to my computer, and Tom got married in Hawaii and I didn't know he was getting married until a week before the wedding and didn't have the money to go.) The one with the five of us is Brian, Cheryl, MaryAnn, Me and Tom. The one with the ladies is Cheryl, Bonnie (Brian's wife), MaryAnn, Nenita (Tom's wife) and me again. Of course, the one everyone is the whole wedding party. Well, seeing as how it is midnight here and I have to work in the morning I am going to go for now. Enjoy!

Hero Brother

Cpl. Brian Walton

Brian is a great father, husband, son, brother, uncle, friend, cousin and guardsman. This is his second tour of duty in Iraq. He is a good soldier and we are very proud of him. We pray that God will be with him, protect him, and bring him safely home to us again.

-- Submitted by Jean Walton, sister

Hello again! This is a thing I submitted on Indystar.com in their Spirit of the 76th section. It is a tribute space where you can submit greetings to soldiers overseas. For those of you who know my brother Brian, he should have arrived in Kuwait sometime today. He will be there for 2 - 3 weeks and then he will continue on to Iraq. He will be overseas for a year. Lots of prayers for his safe return please! This is his second tour of duty over there. Last time, he and my other brother, Tom, were over there at the same time for a while. They both (Thanks to God!) made it safely home that time. The picture above is actually from his wedding in 2005. I didn't have a picture of him in his uniform on my computer. (I have one from a while ago, I just didn't have it scanned into my computer.) Also prayers for his wife Bonnie; son Evan; stepsons Mathew, Michael and Joseph; and our Mom, RoseMary. All of the rest of us; Stephen and I; Cheryl and her kids, David, Chris, Michaela and Ryan; Tom and Nenita; and MaryAnn, Joey and Blake will miss him as well.

Let's Play Catch! (Up, that is)

Well, it sure has been a while since I have posted anything on here. I don't have a real good excuse I guess. Just life as a single working Mom keeping me busy. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

The cats are adjusted fairly well now and have developed nicknames. Tilly is "chicken" and T-Bone is "big boy". She is sociable mainly when Stephen is in bed for the night and then she is a pest. Most of the time T-Bone is somewhat sociable, when he is in the mood. I figure at his age he is entitled to some cranky days. The fish has survived nicely. The cats are more interested in my house plants than the fish. Most of my plants have been re-located to my bedroom. Stephen is really loving having them here. They crack him up and they don't even have to do anything.

Stephen continues to make progress in school, which is good. Tomorrow and Thursday morning the third graders are taking their first CSAP (for those of you who are fellow Hoosiers it is Colorado's version of the ISTEP test) tests. They do the reading portion now and then they will do the math portion next month sometime. Due to the fact that he has an IEP (Individualized Education Plan, I think that is what the initials mean, that is pretty close anyway) for his cerebral palsy he will get some help tomorrow and Thursday. He is still making good progress learning to read, but he is not proficient enough for this test yet. He retains everything he learns but sometimes getting it back out is interesting. He probably will get a little help with the math one also but probably not as much, which is fine. I don't want him to take advantage of anyone (and he is VERY smart about figuring those types of things out). All his teachers and helpers get the biggest kick out of him! He is looking forward to Easter already. I am not ready though. Didn't we just finish a couple of holidays?? Where does the time go?

He is on the downside of finishing his second year of AWANA's at Church. It will end the second week of May. I have just finished a five week parenting course at church. It was a very good course and well worth the time committment (we had homework to do every week also).

I am now the full-time 4-H secretary at the Extension Office where I have worked for the last 8 years. That is a very nice change from trying to do that and be the receptionist/horticulture secretary all at the same time for the last two and a half years. (And yes, for those of you who know me well, I realize I am not currently using my college degree but this has been and continues to be a good fit for Stephen and I.)

One of my brothers, Brian, has been in Georgia since January training for his second tour of duty in Iraq. He is supposed to go back over there mid-March. At least that is the latest date I have heard. He has had some back problems so I am not sure how he is doing with that now.

Well, I am tired and should go to bed and try to get some sleep before work tomorrow. Sleep has not been the best lately for various reasons. I don't have a real exciting life so I guess this is the update for now. Take care all of you who may read this! I miss all of you fellow Hoosiers!