Last weekend in the hopes of getting more info for Shannen’s school so that they will accelerate her we took her to Sylvan to get an evaluation (more on that later). When we were done with everything they gave us a website that is FREE to use called www.bookadventure.org. At the site you can pick books by READING LEVEL!! I have been trying for the last year to find a list that works like that. You can also find the books by author, subject, title etc. When you are done with the book you can take a quiz to earn “points”. After a while you can trade in your points for free stuff. We are having a hard time getting Shannen to read anything other than the Harry Potter series (for the 1 millionth time) and she can only get the points for each book once…so she is forced to read other books 

I was really hoping this would work well for Morgan too…and I am sure it will eventually. Unfortunately the series she has been reading were not on the website. She was a little bummed that she couldn’t get that many points for books she had already read. One huge benefit was that she FINALLY got to see in writing that the books she reads are about grade level and that she is a good reader (she wont listen to me say that and continues to compare herself with her twin).

So just wanted to pass the info on and hopefully we will have two happy readers for the whole summer!!

My youngest Tristan is now 2 1/2 years old and even though I know he is not ready to head out to college he just is feeling so old these days. He is defiantly the youngest of 4 kids and tries to keep up with all the big kids. He is watching his brother and sisters closely and tries to run and jump as high as they do. He tries to sit and listen to stories as still as they do (even though this is maddeningly hard for him) and he dreams of going off to camp and school with them (very hard to say sorry you are too young). I have a ton of friends right now who are expecting babies and I am very comfortable with our decision to have 4 kids but I do miss hold a new baby….I am very ok handing the baby back though

I know that our family is moving on to a new chapter in our lives and Tristan is a huge symbol of that. Our kids will soon all be in school and I will be working more (which I love). Very soon all my kids will be able to get into the car and buckle their seats without my help….and soon no one will need me to check their bums (I can only dream right now). Because of all these things I think that sometimes I have expectations for Tristan’s behavior that are not realistic…I do have to remember he is 2 1/2 and not 4 like his brother (even though they often act a lot alike).

Even though all these things are wonderful and I am looking forward to my kids getting older, having real discussions with them, watching them play sports (with some actual skill), and taking cooler family trips I have been a mom of young kids for 8 years. I know how to do this and looking into the world of tweens and tantrums (ok I have seen a few of these) scares me. It scares me because I have to let go more of my kids and trust…not them more…but the world around them more. It scares me because they have voices that have power and weight behind them and I have to remember to listen more. It scares me because we will no longer be that young family anymore and I am getting older. It scares me because I am growing apart from my friends that are not making that transition. It scares me. But it is also exciting…

Ok so we are at week 2 of the girls being out of school and the end of week one for Collin and they are driving me nuts! They have managed to fight over every possible thing under the sun…she has the swing more than me…I want to lick my ice cream cone first…he was breathing in my direction! Breath…I know they are getting used to the routine but you would think they would enjoy summer instead of torturing their siblings…maybe that is why when I was little we were told to go outside and come back when it was dark! I really need to pick up the beach pass so they can run around there because our yard is not cutting it.

Collin had his last day of pre-school today (he will move to a new one next year). He brought home a ton of great pictures and a wonderful scrap book. I can not believe he has made it through his first year of school! We all celebrated with sorbet ice-cream cones (with sprinkles)…so now it is really summer everyone is out of school. I can’t wait for the end of recitals and such so we can just veg at the beach.

As some of you know Todd and I have been going through a rough time with Shannen lately when it comes to school. We have been trying to convince her school that she needs to skip a grade (at least one) and they have been…less than open to the suggestion (even though they don’t doubt she can do the work). Well we had a meeting yesterday to make a decision (at least that was what Todd and I thought was happening) with us, Shannen’s tutor, Shannen’s therapist, the head of the lower school, and the headmaster. Well lets just say we did not come to a decision. The headmaster (who has not been to any other meetings) thinks we need to really take our time…I have been working on this for over a year and his people have not been addressing thing well.

She has never been educated correctly, she is loosing interest in school, and she is only entering 3rd grade! Their big suggestion was for her to stay in 3rd grade and do the John Hopkins program (great program). So I went to sign her up and looked through the coarse work and she had already completed 1/2 of the 4th grade program for math and had read the books in the 5th grade program…but no 3rd grade is the right place for her…and this is a very accelerated program!!! I am just so frustrated. The only good thing is that the headmaster has agreed to call the specialist to see if we can speed up Shannen’s evaluation (the list is very long and we have been on for almost 6 months). I’m just not sure what the best thing to do is now that they seem to be digging in their heels. I know 3rd grade is not the place for her and I feel like we are getting set-up for them announcing that they are not able to educate her. I just wasn’t expecting such a hard time from a school with such a big price tag.

The really annoying part is that with my other children (who have learning issues) they praise me for my insight into my children and follow my lead on how to best service them. Shannen is a twin and this is making life miserable for her sister as well…her sister is very bright and tested in the gifted range but calls herself stupid because she can’t read Shakespeare like Shannen.

It seems like the school just wishes Shannen would go away….it makes me really sad to see a kid as bright (and vulnerable) as she is get treated so poorly. I don’t think they are meaning to but they are turning her away from learning in school….and that is just sad.

Ok so I have never been great at the diary thing…why did I think a blog would be better. I am going to try this time to write at least every other day (good goals). So just got back from a great trip to Vegas with 9 other ladies and had a great time. I loved getting a break from the kids and life in general and I have come back much better for it. Weird side effect though…I started to feel really guilty for leaving my hubby in charge of the kids (not that he minded at all)…maybe I was listening to too many people talk in my ear but I started to feel like I was selfish for needing the time away. I know in my head that I am better for it but sometimes I get worried that I am the more selfish one in the marriage…