Why do I find it so difficult to sign my children up for swim lessons? I am so lazy. I found lessons at our local high school's pool for the summer, but you have to drop off the forms in person at the pool between 3 and 6 pm during the week. I don't know where the pool is, so it would mean wandering around a high school with 3 children. So perhaps they won't ever learn how to swim because I'm too intimidated. Also? Don't want quite know how to get all 3 into lessons, since I still have to go in the pool with Michael and Lily is petrified. -sigh- Too bad they won't magically figure out this skill on their own.
Why do I feel the need to point out obvious things when leaving a phone message? Like when I leave a message for a mom that I know pretty well, I'll say, "Hi! This is Giselle S----, Andrew's mom." No s--t, Sherlock! How many Giselle S's is my friend likely to know? Or, "Hi, I'm calling at about 5:00...that's 2:00 your time." No s--t, Sherlock! Do you really think your friend can't figure out the 3 hour time difference?
Why can't I get ANY RESPONSE from our Intermediary Unit (the agency responsible for providing Michael with speech services)? It has been 6 1/2 weeks since Michael's IEP meeting. I e-mailed my contact 3 times and left her 2 phone messages, which resulted in one e-mail that basically said she'd sent my info on. Last week, I went to their website and pulled the e-mail of the director. I sent her a note begging for any information if she couldn't provide some action. No response. Nothing. Nada. I have no other names or numbers. Do I contact my local representative next? Let him know that a government agency is denying services to a child with an IEP? I have no idea where to turn next or who to talk to. Why won't they just send me a note explaining that they don't have enough therapists, or they're waiting for more spots to open up at the end of the school year, or ANYTHING. So frustrating.
Why do I think I can teach Andrew to play piano? We inherited an electric piano last weekend, and everyone is really excited about it. It was going to be one of my projects for the summer with Andrew. Except that we run into the same problem as always. There are 2 other children in the house. And the only time I have alone with Andrew is after Lily goes to bed...and I'm pretty sure he'll be too tired and grumpy to practice at that point. I suppose I could put her in front of the tv while he plays or something...but the sound of the tinkling keys will inevitably bring her in. I think we may have to find a teacher for him...other than me. I can help him practice with Lily around, but I'm not sure I can instruct him. Homeschooler I am not.
Why do I think I can teach Andrew to ride a bike? Ditto to argument above. We get weekends. Otherwise, Jeff is at work and I am trying to run down the street holding on to Andrew's bike seat, while Mike and Lily fight over the 4 other trikes that we have and roll uncontrollably into the street. -sigh- I think I am probably qualified to have just 1 child.
Why do I start these blog entries without any good material to fill it?
8 comments:
I totally do the time change thing when I call people... but it's usually only a 1 hour time change. I promise I don't think my friends are that slow, I just feel the need to do the conversion for them!
Maybe instead of writing your state representative you should write the director again and tell him or her that you're planning to write your rep next..?
Why do I even try to let Addy ride her bike when we go on walks in our neighborhood? She inevitably gets way too far ahead of us and has to keep stopping to wait for us to catch up, Eli inevitably throws a fit and wants to ride his trike, which means I'm following behind him at a snail's pace for about a hundred feet until he gives up and abandons the trike, all while trying to push a stroller or balance a baby in a backpack, and sometimes a leashed dog thrown in for good measure.
Why do I keep announcing my intentions to do things (like buy a membership at the local spray park, plan fun trips around our state, clean out the closets) and then never take a further step towards accomplishing them?! I should stop announcing things until AFTER I've done them!
I leave the worst vmail message EVER...even when I recite it in my head first. I get all wordy and repetitive and it's just a mess!
As for the E.I. services? I'd go one up from the director...or just directly to whoever oversees that I.U. Seriously, 6.5 weeks with no decent communication is totally unacceptable...not to mention the legal issues.
One more item: Swim lessons. I have no good advice...I've got to go solo tomorrow mornings-the boys take a lesson & I do "MommyandME" with Chloe at the same time. But up until now, Mike has also gone along to help with the aftermath of drying/dressing/etc. No clue what I will do tomorrow!!
I gave up on doing swim lessons after Zander was born. Luckily, Kylie and Brayden had a couple summers worth of lessons before that happened so they know how to swim. Bryn learned in our above ground pool last summer. Do you have room in your backyard for one of those? They're awesome... shallow enough that Zander's head is above the water but deep enough that the kids can swim. I've also decided that any skill they don't learn as a young child they will pick up even quicker when they are older. It will get learned one way or another.
Speaking of phone messages, I now have a fuzzy recollection of you leaving me one last week. Which means, if true, I never called you back. Maybe you should post about, "Why do I keep being friends with loser friends who forget to call me back?" I suck. I'll call you tomorrow. Better go write that on the calendar so I don't forget. (Not even joking about that.)
I always adjust the time for people too, so silly...
I am afraid I'm not much help with the swim/bike/piano thing - you have loftier goals than I do! This summer we're doing evening swimming classes so Matt can be in the pool w/ Michael and I can help w/ changing and man the epi pen. It will be Michael's first summer of lessons.
I would keep going to the next supervisor for the speech therapy - I can't believe no one has gotten back with you. Here it is through the school system once the child is age 3 - is that not the case w/ you? There has to be someone else you can call. I'm sorry that is such a hassle, the last thing we need is for parents to give up on early intervention because of poor follow-through. Not that you would give up but I'm assuming others must be having similar experiences.
http://www.kidstogether.org/IEP.htm
This site seems to have a good idea of who to contact- and how... but I am going to keep looking into it. I need to dig up my notes on what you can do (I remember we had a lecture on the system in PA)... I'll keep looking and let you know what I find! :-)
By the time N was G's age she was in swim lessons, but if I take G then I have to keep M from drowning himself and keep G from freaking the heck out. And if I took N I'd have to keep her from whining that she was bored to death.
At home, M likes to take off and run down the sidewalks, which means I mostly leave N and G to their own devices at the house while I follow M as he toddles all over creation. This has resulted in me finding blue chalk all over the house bricks, siding, cars, and outdoor lawn equipment.
I think it is the 3-kid versus 1-mom with only 2 arms dilemma. I feel ya.
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