Sunday, September 19, 2010

School school and more school. Can you believe it's taken me almost 3 weeks to post after the first day of school? Yikes, I'm getting slower and slower. School is still a work in progress for Hannah. I would like to say that the first day of school was great, happy and wonderful. But...the first day of school was pretty hard for my girl. I couldn't get her out of the car. When I finally did, then we couldn't budge from the lobby. Even the principal couldn't get her to go up to class. We finally got out of the lobby and into the stairwell. Stuck there. Her beloved art teacher happened by, and wisked her off. Later Hannah said to me "well she didn't have to hold me so hard." I told her that maybe it worked, she finally got up to her classroom!

After that first day she was determined not to go back. Somehow Dave managed to work a "deal" with her and if she was the first one in the class the next day she would get $5. Of course, I am the one that has to enforce this "deal." I was surprised that it worked out, and Hannah was very concerned about being to school early the next day to be the first one in the classroom! Since then, she hasn't had a problem (phew!).

The first full week of school, we didn't quite make it through. I got my first call from the school nurse on Thursday afternoon. Hannah had a stomach ache that she thought was bad enough to come home. She came home and slept for 3 hours. The next day, Friday, she still had that stomach ache and missed the whole day. I found out that there were a few kids (in her class) that were out with stomach issues, so I think this is what happened. She just didn't bounce back quickly from stomach issues like she usually does if it's just her normal issue.

On to the 2nd week, Hannah made it all the way until Friday, with each day a bit harder than the next, more stomach aches, daily headaches. Hannah had a stomach ache last Friday that she said was a 7 on a scale of 1-10. We worked it out that she would go, so she didn't miss morning chorus and if she was still feeling badly she could call and I would come and get her. Got the call about noon and she came home to sleep the rest of the afternoon.

Week 3 (this week) and Hannah was explaining to me that she has headaches pretty much every day, usually beginning after snack time and before lunch. I have an email in now to her oncologist to see what his thoughts are. I'm thinking it's probably fatigue and the stress of the day. School is hard for her this year. We began modifying her workload after day 1 this year. That didn't happen last year until the end of the school year. She tells me every day that she doesn't want to go to school the next day. I wish it wasn't so hard for her.

Hannah does have a great support team in place this year. She likes them and I love them! After our first night of homework, Hannah spent 1.5 hours working. Her special education teacher checked in with me, and I explained our difficulties and she immediately notified all Hannah's teachers who got back to me right away and told me to "not let her work that much at home." They really have her best interests at heart, and I'm glad to have them.

I have lots more to tell you all about, some great things happening with Hannah's Cans for Cancer, and other fun and not so fun stuff so I'll be back soon!


♥Kim

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Yesterday 46 brave mommas shaved their heads to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer. Why 46? Because each day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer. Just 3 years ago, Hannah was one of those children.

Watch for some familiar faces of some of our friends you may have come to know this Hannah's website-Peggy (Coleman's mom), Heide (Jessica's mom) and Mimi (King Julian's mom), all angels now. Please take a moment to view the video, I'm sure you'll be moved as I was.

Watch for these bald mommas on the 2nd Annual Stand up to Cancer show, Friday Sept. 10th at 8pm eastern time.

September is National Childhood Awareness Month.

Sunday, September 6, 2010

Another month gone, and school is starting! We spent our August with a trip to my parent's house in Indiana which is always fun for the girls. They kept busy with trips to Carlson's (the local drive in hot dog stand with the best root beer around), blueberry picking, water park, fishing and crazy water swinging and lots of visiting time with Grandma and Grandpa and cousin Sydney. We were then home for 4 days and left for a family vacation to Canada!

Dave had been planning this bucket list trip for the family to Alberta Canada in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. We spent time in Jasper National Park and Banff National Park. Both are just amazing places. We saw bears for the first 3 days we were in Jasper, 2 of them right on the side of the road! We saw a mother grizzly with her 2 cubs on one of our hikes, very close to us. We had just passed the park ranger with her rifle who was looking for the bears. It was the most beautiful scenery we have ever seen. Dave had an ambitious schedule planned for us and had done a lot of research on the hikes he wanted to take. We saw waterfalls, canyons, glaciers, elk, grizzly bears, black bears, mountain goats, coyotes, and big horn sheep. One thing we hadn't planned for so well was Hannah's feet. It had been a while since she had such rigorous exercise and pounding on her feet. By day 3, she was loudly voicing her displeasure with hiking. By day 4 she was clinging to a bridge on the hike, refusing to go any further. She was limping and crying. Dave began carrying her for much of the difficult terrain on the hikes, usually up the side of the mountains! Hannah didn't really like that, she said it was uncomfortable. I know she have rather walked, but she just physically couldn't do it. I told her that her dad was in such good shape, he needed a bit more of a challenge to raise his heart rate by carrying her-and I was joking about that!

Dave had planned well, with all of our hikes listed as "moderate". I told him he needed to write the author of those many books he read and tell them our definition of moderate was a bit different. Absolutely loved the trip, I describe it as an endless stair master through Christmas (many of the hikes were through pine forests and they smelled wonderful.)

Tomorrow is the start of school! I don't know where the summer went, it always just flies by. Hannah is entering 6th grade this year, and Colby will be in 8th. I was able to get Hannah's information early before we left for Canada so that we could begin preparing her emotionally for the changes for this year. She has a great group of teachers this year. She will be in the inclusion class since she now has an IEP to help her with any special accommodations she needs. Hannah doesn't have an individual aide assigned to her, but she does have a special education teacher and there is a full time aide in her classroom. We don't have our beloved aide Natalie with her this year, and her favorite teacher Mrs. Finger isn't there either. Every time we bring this up Hannah gets upset and cries, so I'm not sure what to expect for tomorrow. I know she will come to know and trust these teachers and new aide, but transition is difficult for her. We went up to her classroom a few weeks ago so she could see where it was and we spoke with her math teacher who was there. On the way out, we went by Mrs. Finger's classroom and Hannah was going from desk to desk crying and trying to find her desk from last year with the smiley face inside. She says she wants to go by and say hello to Mrs. Finger and Natalie tomorrow on her way in, and hopefully she won't get stuck in there! I wish I could be a fly on the wall tomorrow.

Will report in soon! Thanks for still keeping up with us!


♥Kim