This week for Try This Tuesday at 5 Minutes for Special Needs, I am sharing more about how our summer has been and some of the challenges we have faced with regard to Michael’s progress. I hope you’ll take a moment to read it, especially as it will be my last one.
Yes, I am stepping down from the 5MFSN team. It has been a wonderful year (plus a little) since the site began, but I just feel the need to draw back from some of my commitments to focus more on my home and my family. I cannot express how amazing this experience has been and how blessed I am to have met so many amazing moms and dads of special needs children through that community.
Of course, I’ll still be commenting there and blogging here, and hope to be a bit more regular once school gets started at the end of the month. I just didn’t want to disappear from the site and have people wonder what happened to me!
If you, like me, are already thinking ahead to back to school time and making the transition as smooth as possible, take a look at today’s Try This Tuesday.
Amazing Grace from Moms of Special Needs Children is sharing a student orientation checklist that you can include with your child’s IEP so that everyone on the team knows what is required of them to support your child right from the start.
What are your best tips for a good transition into the summer and then back into school again in the fall?
Not much has changed since last week, except that I did get my notes together for the IEP meeting, which is good since it was on Friday. I’ll try to write more about it, but I am still waiting for a revised IEP before I sign anything.
Try This Tuesday for next week.
Finish guest post for Writing to Serve. (Update: it’s almost done.)
Continue with Problogger challenges.
Go through folder of bookmarked post ideas/things to check out.
FOR MICHAEL/ASD HOPE –
Finalize childcare and work schedule for summer.
Finish last bit of paperwork for visit to DAN! doctor. (almost done!)
Work on end of year thank yous.
Catch up on pending items for ASD HOPE.
Prepare agenda for ASD HOPE board meeting.
WITH BOB -
Work on photo book for Sally.
Copy files from desktop to laptop for backup.
Start planning trip to Illinois.
What a contrast this weekend was to the previous one; we were so busy! But it was a lot of fun doing things with Michael and as a family. Work has gotten a tiny bit less stressful, and my main concern this week is being prepared for the big IEP meeting on Friday afternoon (prayers for calmness and clarity appreciated!)
There’s a bunch of stuff staying on the list from last week, but that’s okay. I’ll get there eventually!
My To Do List:
FOR BLOGGING -
Try This Tuesday for next week.
Finish guest post for Writing to Serve.
Continue with Problogger challenges.
Go through folder of bookmarked post ideas/things to check out.
FOR MICHAEL/ASD HOPE –
Get rest of notes together for IEP meeting.
Finish last bit of paperwork for visit to DAN! doctor. (almost done!)
Work on end of year thank yous.
Firm up date for next Parent Chat and get flyer sent out.
WITH BOB -
Review and update budget.
Go over schedule for the next week.
Work on photo book for Sally.
Copy files from desktop to laptop for backup.
Start planning trip to Illinois. (Step One – call Dad and let him know we are coming, since Mom was told last week and he still doesn’t know!)
Over the last week, the stress that I am dealing with at work has really caught up with me, and my ability to focus on other things has been limited. Luckily, my wonderful husband took my son to his parents for the weekend, and I was able to enjoy some solitude and even get in some writing time.
In fact, I actually scheduled my Try This Tuesday post at 5MFSN ahead of deadline for the first time in weeks; usually I am sitting down to finish it up after Michael goes to bed on Monday night! This week I am talking about choosing therapies, as a follow-up to last week’s post about supplemental therapies.
Life is always a balancing act between all the things you want to do and all the things you have to do, and I’m teetering on the edge a bit right now.
On paper, it looks like a blogging break would give me a lot more time for all the other “stuff” in my life, but I’m not sure I can give it up and maintain my sanity. So I am still trying to find the way to do it all, including spending the time on my home and family that they need and keeping up with all of Michael’s care and other household stuff.
My routines have been going pretty well, so I’m going to streamline my list this week. What is going to be more important to me this week is figuring out a schedule that will work so that I know when I am going to be doing all this stuff.
My To Do List:
FOR BLOGGING -
Try This Tuesday for next week.
Guest post for Writing to Serve. (Started this, but not done yet.)
Update on Read Together challenge.
Continue with Problogger challenges. (Still planning to do this one, just haven’t gotten a chance to get back to it yet.)
Go through folder of bookmarked post ideas/things to check out.
FOR MICHAEL –
Get notes together for upcoming IEP meeting.
Finish paperwork for visit to DAN! doctor.
Take Michael to buy birthday present for best friend.
Work on summer childcare/work arrangements.
Work on end of year thank yous.
WITH BOB -
Decide about hard drive backup.
Review and update budget.
Go over schedule for the next week.
Work on photo book for Sally.
Start planning trip to Illinois.
I’m really embarrassed that I haven’t posted anything since last week’s To-Do Tuesday; I think I need to add that to my list! I did manage to write my weekly post for 5 Minutes for Special Needs, but that’s about it.
So, here’s my to do list for this coming week, and I’m really hoping to spend some quality time blogging as well!
Read with Michael in the morning.
Read Little House books at bedtime.
Go to library with Michael.
MISCELLANEOUS -
Review school notes and email thoughts to team for IEP/BIP.
Close stamp party.
Complete photo book.
Do paperwork for M’s upcoming doctor visits.
Research computer hard drive options.
Start planning trip to Illinois.
I can’t believe how fast this week has gone! My routines are still going good, but the miscellaneous tasks just keep piling up. I may be getting a couple of days on my own to try to catch up a bit soon, which would be wonderful, especially since I had a bit of a meltdown on Sunday evening thinking about all the stuff that needs to be done.
A friend of mine reminded me that I usually get pretty stressed out this time of year, what with IEP meetings coming up and getting summer plans in place. There are also a couple of big autism-related events coming up. Once we get past the next month, things should settle down a bit for me.
Another part of the problem is that I take so much on my shoulders – trying to keep the house together since I only work part-time, handling all the paperwork and bills, researching and advocating for Michael, managing everyone’s schedule – and I don’t take the time to share it with my husband so we can tackle things as a team.
So my biggest goal for this week is to spend a few minutes each day talking with Bob about our schedules and our priorities so that we are on the same page with what’s going on and what needs to be done.
As for the rest of the list, I’ll do as much as I can!
Go through ASD HOPE pending items.
Check for library books that are due or on hold.
Check alternate email accounts.
Catch up on filing.
BLOGGING -
Update links on the rest of the posts imported from Blogger. UPDATE: I can’t believe I finally got this done!!
Research blog backup options for WordPress blogs.
Post update on reading challenges.
Write Try This Tuesday for next week.
READ TOGETHER CHALLENGE –
Read with Michael in the morning.
Read Little House books at bedtime.
Go to library with Michael.
MISCELLANEOUS -
Review school notes and email thoughts to team for IEP/BIP.
Make table cards and name tags for Mother-to-Mother Luncheon.
Follow up on approval for STAP.
Work on arranging childcare for this summer.
Research computer hard drive backup options.
Clean and grocery shop for stamp party Friday night.
Ask Bob to select photos for photo book.
Once photos are selected, upload them and finish the project.
Have Bob call stupid credit card company who won’t talk to me despite the fact that I am the one who makes sure they get paid every month.
Remember that security questions are for Bob and they don’t really care where MY dad was born.
