Chava
New Member
Hi Everyone,
I'm sorry that I haven't posted in so long. My job has taken over my life for the meantime and I just don't get much leisure time on the computer. Kids are growing and starting to leave home, so I'm trying to spend all my free time with them, as much as they'll have me.
Oldest moved out into a halfway house situation. She's doing very well right now, though the anorexia has reared it's head a bit. She's off all medications, which is probably why she can control her eating again. Gaining so much weight was very difficult for her. She looks great now, but we'll see if she can stop losing now. She has been working for about 6 months, and is hoping to start a course for Travel Agents in March. We meet with her therapist and the head of the program monthly, and they feel she's ready to move into a separate apartment as soon as they can find one for her and her roommate.
difficult child 2 is now in an army preparation program and will be inducted into the army in July. He would like to join a very elite unit and will be tested for it sometime in March. In the meantime, he's enjoying the program and getting in shape. He comes home every 2 weeks and I see that he's much more appreciative of being home, which is very nice.
easy child 1 is in 12th grade and suffering with the rest of the country since the high schools are on strike. The teachers have been striking for 6 weeks with no end in sight. I don't blame them one bit, but it's very hard on the kids. The matriculation exams will have to be put off but we aren't sure how this will all affect them in the long run. In the meantime, she's waitressing at a hotel and trying to study what she can.
difficult child 3 is doing very well in 10th grade. Teachers are happy with his progress though they feel that if he took Ritalin it would be easier for him and he'd do even better. But, he refuses. Neuro says that since he functioning ok in school that we shouldn't force him, so we aren't.
difficult child 4 is not doing as well and we are looking for ways to help him. He just started Jr. High and the expectations are higher than they were in his little 8:1:1 class. We've been speaking with the teachers to help them understand difficult child better and they seem to want to help. He's been acting silly and skipping math. This is what he does when hwe he doesn't understand the teachers. He's always been in a smaller class with either an extra teacher or an aide that could give him a couple of minutes to explain what he is supposed to do. Mostly, it's just the instructions that he needs to hear a few times, then he can do the work. Anyway, we're working on it.
GFG5 is in 5th grade and will be starting an evaluation in about 2 weeks through the school. They finally agreed that we need to figure out what is hard for him, instead of just making things easier for him. In such a small school, this is a real luxury and we are very happy that they are working with us to get him ready for Jr. High.
In August it was 4 years since Joey died, and we are all still dealing with his loss. Joey would have been in 3rd grade this year. I miss his sweetness so much.
husband is finally working after 2 years of being unemployed. He's managing an internet startup. It's coming along and I hope that he'll make it great. If not, at least he's back in the workforce, so it will be easier changing jobs if he has to.
This has been a really long update, so thanks if you have made it to the end. You are all so sweet to ask about us. I am sorry that I'm not more involved in the board right now, but I do look in every once in a while to see how you all are.
Chava
I'm sorry that I haven't posted in so long. My job has taken over my life for the meantime and I just don't get much leisure time on the computer. Kids are growing and starting to leave home, so I'm trying to spend all my free time with them, as much as they'll have me.
Oldest moved out into a halfway house situation. She's doing very well right now, though the anorexia has reared it's head a bit. She's off all medications, which is probably why she can control her eating again. Gaining so much weight was very difficult for her. She looks great now, but we'll see if she can stop losing now. She has been working for about 6 months, and is hoping to start a course for Travel Agents in March. We meet with her therapist and the head of the program monthly, and they feel she's ready to move into a separate apartment as soon as they can find one for her and her roommate.
difficult child 2 is now in an army preparation program and will be inducted into the army in July. He would like to join a very elite unit and will be tested for it sometime in March. In the meantime, he's enjoying the program and getting in shape. He comes home every 2 weeks and I see that he's much more appreciative of being home, which is very nice.
easy child 1 is in 12th grade and suffering with the rest of the country since the high schools are on strike. The teachers have been striking for 6 weeks with no end in sight. I don't blame them one bit, but it's very hard on the kids. The matriculation exams will have to be put off but we aren't sure how this will all affect them in the long run. In the meantime, she's waitressing at a hotel and trying to study what she can.
difficult child 3 is doing very well in 10th grade. Teachers are happy with his progress though they feel that if he took Ritalin it would be easier for him and he'd do even better. But, he refuses. Neuro says that since he functioning ok in school that we shouldn't force him, so we aren't.
difficult child 4 is not doing as well and we are looking for ways to help him. He just started Jr. High and the expectations are higher than they were in his little 8:1:1 class. We've been speaking with the teachers to help them understand difficult child better and they seem to want to help. He's been acting silly and skipping math. This is what he does when hwe he doesn't understand the teachers. He's always been in a smaller class with either an extra teacher or an aide that could give him a couple of minutes to explain what he is supposed to do. Mostly, it's just the instructions that he needs to hear a few times, then he can do the work. Anyway, we're working on it.
GFG5 is in 5th grade and will be starting an evaluation in about 2 weeks through the school. They finally agreed that we need to figure out what is hard for him, instead of just making things easier for him. In such a small school, this is a real luxury and we are very happy that they are working with us to get him ready for Jr. High.
In August it was 4 years since Joey died, and we are all still dealing with his loss. Joey would have been in 3rd grade this year. I miss his sweetness so much.
husband is finally working after 2 years of being unemployed. He's managing an internet startup. It's coming along and I hope that he'll make it great. If not, at least he's back in the workforce, so it will be easier changing jobs if he has to.
This has been a really long update, so thanks if you have made it to the end. You are all so sweet to ask about us. I am sorry that I'm not more involved in the board right now, but I do look in every once in a while to see how you all are.
Chava
