Yep, have to go back to work tomorrow. Today was teacher inservice in our content areas, so I was with all the music teachers in the district. Lucked out to have it here in the same town I live in so that was super nice! I dropped the girls at daycare then drove 1 minute to the school. NICE!
It was wonderful being with the girls all day yesterday. We cleaned their rooms and vacuumed and got the upstairs all neat again. Libbi decided not to help. So, after warnings, I took a huge garbage bag and took everything on her floor and put it in. The bag was too heavy for me to move so I had to drag it in the attic. Boy was she mad, but I was mad she couldn't follow my directions and help SO THERE! Last night she did not do as asked so she then lost her clock radio one of the last things left in her room aside from her bed, dressers and clothes. I can safely say the girl CLASHED with us yesterday. Thing is, as soon as I carried through with the threat, and after the initial fit she threw, she realised these game are no longer flyin' with me.
She is such a sweet girl but why do so many things have to be a battle of wills with her? I spoke with her teacher today and she is being referred to the school counselor for one on one or small group time with a counselor. A lot of times this helps, her teacher says. If we do not see much more improvement, then we'll get referred for testing for ADD, among other things. Dave is ADD, it is hereditary. She is not in danger of being held back for repeating kindergarten, which is a relief. But, first grade moves at a much faster pace and if she does not continue making the huge strides she is, then she WILL struggle. She knew I was talking to her teacher.....I ran into her at the daycare and we spoke for a good ten minutes, if not more. Libbi was upset actually I was talking to her and acted out. She was punished when we got home, but I also sat her down and discussed with her that we are only trying to help her at school, that I am not angry. She at first was adamant about not going to talk to the counselor, but once we chatted and then Abbi shared with her about how nice the counselors are, she seemed a whole lot more agreeable. While she is not extreme, her behavior switches on a dime and without warning. She is not harmful to herself or others, but it still is not all together appropriate. She is impatient, she can be impulsive, and she has trouble following directions at times. She knows how to be the complete opposite of these things and most of the time does. SOOOO...we will see what happens. I like that we are being proactive and it reassured me after speaking with her teacher that many efforts are being made to help Libbi. I firmly feel that her basically missing out on the kindergarten readiness class (older preK) just because she still wore pullups during naptime really put her at a disadvantage and that I should NOT have started her on in kindergarten. It is all in hindsight, had I even had a thought that it could have been better to keep her in the preschool, I would have. But this all did not occur to us until after half the school year, when it was too late to do anything. She IS learning and making progress. I can kick myself until I am purple and it wouldn't do any good. It also could be that even had she waited a year to start kindergarten things would have been the same. We have absolutely no way of knowing and it is silly to dwell. So.....we are taking the stance of what can be done NOW to help her. If we wait any longer, then she may slip further away. She has a STRONG desire to do well and learn, that much is clear. She just wants it instantly and to not have to do the work involved all the time to get to the end result. She's not lazy.
SUCH the opposite of our Abbi this one is. Like night and day. Abbi knew her ABCs and could write them before she even started preschool and kindergarten was plain boring for her. Any discipline problems she had stemmed from being bored. Libbi just does these things for reasons we cannot fully explain. And typically there is no warning either.
Things could be a hundred times worse. She could be mean, hurt others, or so many other things. She isn't though. It is my obligation as a parent to help her through this in any way I can. It is so easy to be frustrated though, and I hate that.
So, I am actually happy to go back to my students tomorrow. I have to teach choir early in the morning, and looking forward to that too. We are to get severe storms tonight maybe. Currently under a severe thunderstorm watch. Good thing I got the girls to bed at 7 pm.
My weight loss is going well. It was tough being home yesterday all day. I was just hungry all day. It is far easier when I am at work. I think because we keep it so cold in the house I just FEEL hungrier! I made chicken fajitas for dinner, YUM! I am really into this yogurt now...fat free. I cannot believe how AWESOME it tastes. I just had the cinnamon roll one and I wasn't sure what I would find but somehow it is really yummy. AND, only 100 calories. It really has a great taste. I used to shy from the stuff but now I am loving it! I rode my bike last night for about 20 minutes and all around both lakes out here. I asked the girls if they wanted to go and they were excited to! Libbi is really getting the hang of it now and I put both girls in front of me and off we went. I had to stop a lot and go slower, but I did not want to leave Libbi behind. I can't wait for warm weather when I can just go and ride faster by myself! Feels great to have the wind in my hair and know I am exercising. Plus to not be walking is helping the leg.
We are watching Biggest Loser right now and once it is over I am getting me a bubble bath. Then bed.
:)
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