Kindergarten!

Wow, it really is that time! Tonight Kristopher, Emma, and I went to the Kindergarten Roundup at the elementary school that the kids will attend next year. K went with all the other kids to watch a movie in another room and the adults stayed in the media center and heard about the different programs at the school, ways to be involved, what to expect, that kind of thing.

When I came in I was followed by a mom from Brianna's school (her son's in the older class so he'll be kindy next year) and then started running in to teachers that I knew from my time interning at that school. We went inside and I sat on the floor since all the tables were full and nearby were 2 or 3 other families that also have kids at Brianna's school. Once all the kids left I went and sat with them. A few others joined us including another mom that was pregnant at the same time as I was (obviously, kinda, since our kids are both in kindy...) and we both were at this school working at that time (along with 2 other pregnant mommas whose kids will be in kindy there- and both of them and myself were all in the 1st grade wing ;) ).

Anyway, a mom came in with a stroller and sat down nearby and I looked, then looked again... I wasn't SURE, but I thought I recognized a few of the beautiful features of Down syndrome! The baby was little, looked to be about 8 months. Yep, I kept stealing glances at her and she was just precious ;) After everything was over I asked her how old her daughter is. Eighteen months. Yes, that was my answer :) Actually, I then found out that this was the mom that the friend I talked about up there ^ somewhere had e-mailed me about meeting up with about... 6 months ago? So we finally got to meet! She and I have both had busy holiday seasons and she had some things after that. Anyway, she has a daughter in kindy as well, so maybe our kids will be in the same class next year! I gave her my little RR card with my email on it so hopefully we can have her and her girls come over sometime soon to visit.

The principal also came over afterward and said 'hi' to the kids and myself. She's been at the school since I was there too and also was a long-time acquaintance of my mom's, so she knew about our adoption and had gotten the recent note the office left for her about 3 of my kids having IEPs to bring them to that school and the 4th needing out of area permission. I asked if we could chat about that sometime soon (not wanting her to feel she had to discuss it right then) and she replied "oh, we can talk about other things, no need to even bring it up, it's no problem." So... hopefully Kristopher's registration will be accepted when I turn in the forms next week. I'll bring them in when I bring Emma for therapy on Wednesday.

Yes, and Emma's too! She sat very nicely and responded well to vocal and signed 'commands' while people were talking. "Stop, shh, sit up, don't push, shh, stop, no, sit up, don't push, yay let's clap, shh, stop..." She really was VERY good. But she wanted to scratch her legs, occasionally yell or "snort" her nose, plug her ears while sucking her thumb (weird?), and wanted to push her wheelchair away from me :) I started off signing and whispering things to her, then started just signing them to her when I had her attention. It's hard to know whether she just already knew why she was "being talked to" or if she was understanding the signs, but she is very good about stopping... at least for that 30 seconds.

Mike's mom came and watched the two little ones and readied them for bed for me. We'd set that up a week or so ago because Mike was going to come with me. Instead he laid in bed and slept and watched half of a TV show. Poor guy is still SICK.