Oh goodness...

Where to even start?  I keep thinking I'll sit down and post and it just never seems to happen.  Lots and lots and lots going on at Casa de Lopresti over the last month...

1. Logan has moved to a new school with a smaller classroom setting.  He was really struggling with the transition to full day first grade this past fall.  His classroom size at our home elementary school was very large, and it was just proving to be too much for him to handle.  We and the school tried many accomodations to make it  more manageable for him, but he was starting to feel very overwhelmed.  He struggles with focus, and is very impulsive and easily angered.  These issues have been going on for years, and as the demands of school have increased its become difficult for him to navigate an entire day without running into challenges he isn't quite sure how to handle.

We had a ton of meetings with our elementary school and at the beginning of the year, we all decided the best setting for him would be a smaller class size.  The classroom environment he needed didn't exist at our home elementary school, so we worked with our school system and found a behaviorally focused smaller class setting for him about 20 minutes from home, at another elementary school in our county. 

We're into the fifth week now, and he's doing SO much better.  There are only 7 kids in his class, and the teachers (3 of them!) are in tune with what he needs to be successful at school.  He's still learning at the 1st grade level, but there is also a focus on behavioral strategies in this classroom.  The ultimate goal is to eventually transition him back to our home school in a year or two, once he has some good strategies under his belt.  This past five weeks, we've been getting him settled into his new routine. The bus picks him up and drops him off at our house, which is wonderful, and he has already made some new friends.  Its been a great transition and he's adapted wonderfully.  We're so grateful for wonderful teachers who take the time to care for kids with special learning needs, and find the good in every child.  His new lead teacher is incredible, and she updates us regularly so we're all on the same page and working with Logan in a consistent manner.  We're so proud of you Logan!

Last week, Logan got his first ever loose tooth.  In fact, it was so loose this past weekend he asked me to try and pull it, to no avail. His teacher emailed me today and said it fell out at school today, so tonight the Tooth Fairy will make her debut.  He's going to be over the moon. Another milestone!

2.  I had a little health scare, which I'm happy to say had a good ending.  A few weeks ago, I went in for my annual mammogram and got called back for a second exam once they found a suspcious small mass.  Last week, I had a biopsy performed, and although I have a hell of a bruise, the results came back completely benign.  Just turns out I had a fibrous mass, nothing to worry about.  Waiting for the results was the hard part (not to mention the giant thick needle but I'm trying to forget about that part).  So relieved that all is well!

3.  Dylan is plugging along with his extracurricular activities and is keeping busy with Webelos and Odyssey of the Mind.  His competition is in 3 weeks, and he and Andrew have been busy saving every toilet paper roll in the house and building circus animals out of orange juice cartons (don't ask!).  He also competed in the annual Pinewood Derby and had a lot of fun building his car.  Dylan brought home his best report card ever a couple of weeks ago (all A's and one B) and just makes us proud with his happy-go-lucky attitude. 

In 3 weeks, I'll also be signing the boys up for summer swim team season, which will be here before we know it!

4. We've booked our spring camping trip, which will make two trips if you also count his scouting weekend in April (which I think we'll all four attend).  To make it a little less 'painful' I invested in a queen size Aerobed because let's face it, I'm not getting any younger and sleeping on the ground just ain't happening!

5.  I have a new job!  I learned about a part time opportunity at my women's midwife practice, where I've gone for 15 years for my women's care.  I just love this group of midwives, and have always felt that someday it would be so awesome to work in the healthcare field, caring for people and doing something that makes a difference.  They offered me the position last week and I immediately accepted, and will start next week.  I'll work a very flexible 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 days a week and the hours fit nicely into my life.  I'll still have plenty of time to spend with the boys and at the same time, it will give me something I can enjoy and learn and do on my own.  I think it will be the perfect balance, and I'm so excited about this next chapter in my life.  The practice is called Loudoun Community Midwives, and the office is ten minutes from home.  I can't wait!  They are an amazing group of women who work there, and I can't wait to learn everything they are willing to teach me!

I think those are the highlights from the past few weeks.  We've been waiting for snow that never came this winter, and filling our time with lots of family movies nights, parties, and playdates.  Looking forward to warmer weather when we can get out and have some adventures!

juggling act

It wouldn't be a circus without a juggling act now would it? 

I've kept my mouth quiet about this latest development so I didn't jinx myself before it was a done deal.   But as of last Friday, I am officially employed.  Officially earning a paycheck.  A paycheck!

Its been a while, and though I've dabbled here and there these past 7 years with serving on boards of MOMS Clubs, and doing a little freelance marketing consulting, this is an honest-to-goodness consistent jobbity-job-job.  Its an ideal fit for me, as its mostly from home and very flexible.  It involves my past marketing experience but for a new and exciting client, and I get to work with lovely ladies from a past job I truly enjoyed.   The deal has been something we've been working to make happen for a long time now, and it all just came together and finally aligned.

Exciting!

This week is my first week with the new juggling act, and its going to be an adjustment.   But an adjustment we can happily and willingly make.  The job is part time,  up to 20 or so hours per week.  For 7 years my job....my focus, has included managing meals and homework, paying bills, house cleaning and laundry and organization, social calendar and vacation planning, gift buying and playdate coordinating, managing haircuts and doctors appointments and being resident chauffer.  Not that Andrew doesn't do more than his fair share of running his parts of the chore list.   We make a pretty good team.

Fitting this new job onto my plate will be something we'll be figuring out as we go along, so we can find a good balance and get everyone where they need to be, without living in chaos and filth in the meantime.   I've always had a mountain of respect and awe for career moms who work in addition to doing their parenting job.  And I've always felt that someday, if I could find a part time job from home, it would be my ideal dream situation.  Well, here we are!

Part time still allows me to volunteer at the kids schools periodically, manage the errands and appointments that need to happen every week, and yet I have something all my own.  Some adult interaction, and a paycheck to boot!  I don't have to give up fun things like spending time with the kids at the pool this summer, or taking them to a farm.  But when I want to take a break from my parenting brain, there is other work I can tend to and that I enjoy.

I imagine its going to take a few months before I feel like I know what in the world I'm going.  Its going to take some patience from the kids.  And while I dust these cobwebs off my work brain, I hope I don't drop any balls.  I hope I'm able to do myself proud.