Back to HS: My Students 2011-12

I know that I’m 2 days late for this party.  I know. I was out of town. I didn’t know she was starting it so soon.  Those are my excuses, and I’m sticking to ‘em. Okay? Good. 

This party is my friend Amber’s ‘thang’ (she lives in Texas you know) and we had fun last summer with this theme too.  Thankfully this year, she’s not having us do a post a DAY but rather a post a week. Much nicer!

This year I will have two boys growing up very quickly. Very, very quickly!  I can scarcely believe how fast the time has gone with them.  Both boys were adopted foster babies, and we’ve had them since they came out of the hospital after they were born.

D2: Fourth Grade

D2 turned 9 in May.  He also has some special needs, the most recent of which we haven’t had officially diagnosed yet.  He has struggled with fine and gross motor problems, taking PT and OT for a year, and just PT for the past year.  He was given the summer off due to fantastic progress since beginning karate.  (I am ONE HAPPY MOMMA, lemme tell you!) 

D2’s fine motor problems are most apparent when he picks up a pencil.  He can do handwriting practice, and usually does alright with it, but he has to really pay attention to what he is doing.  Left to his own devices and writing unsupervised, his penmanship is almost unreadable, with unevenly sized and spaced letters, and even capitals thrown in the middle of sentences or words.  This will be an ongoing issue until his fine muscles are better developed.

 He is totally on target for writing (process of) and math, but still struggles a bit with reading.  It is finally starting to come together for him, so I am not worried about it. Again, we just work where he is and keep moving on with him.

His most recent issue to develop have been some tics… facial and vocal.  The pediatrician just said to keep track of what tics develop or fade, and keep our eyes open for anything OCD-like.  If we start to see OCD symptoms along with the tics, then a Tourette’s diagnosis is around the corner.  Until then, he said 40% of the population have tics and in most people they aren’t even enough to warrant concern.  I’m hoping he falls in that category.

D2’s favorite things to do are camping, fishing, play computer and XBox games, and swim.  He only picks up a book if he’s told to, but will play board or card games with his brother all day if I don’t give him the TV or computer option.

D1: Sixth Grade

D1 is almost 11 and is going to be a 6th grader this fall, although how that happened, I’m not exactly sure!  He is developmentally delayed. His disability isn’t apparent at all times, but it IS always there.  It takes him longer to process instructions and come up with replies. He is a little behind in math, very behind in writing, and totally on target in his reading.  We just work with him where he’s at, and he always makes progress, so if it takes him longer I’m okay with that. I have peace about his abilities and that God won’t leave him where he is.

He has immature social skills, although they are improving all the time.  We haven’t decided whether or not he will join the middle school Sunday School class yet at church, along with the other 6th graders.  The children’s pastor has had him working in the sound/video booth during kid’s church and he may have a regular spot there. He has been in speech and OT since birth, but began karate this spring and was given the entire summer OFF from therapies because of his marvelous progress in the OT arena! 

D1’s favorite things to do are work with his hands (tools, gardening, helping anyone in any way—whether they want him to or not!)  He also loves to make videos and take pictures.  He is very technically inclined, absorbing computer programs and functions as well as excelling with any electronic gadget he can get his hands on.  He also LOVES nonfiction books with lots of text and pictures, like the DK Eyewitness books. He checks them out from the library and barrels through them one after another. He also likes to cook, ride bikes, swim, and play Minecraft, or Portal on Steam online.

J: 12th Grade

Okay, I know technically she isn’t homeschooled, but she is still at home.  J is beginning her third quarter in the Running Start program at our local community college this fall.  She started a quarter late, so she won’t finish exactly when she would normally have graduated, but she’s okay with that.  She isn’t going through a local high school like most RS students do, but going through as a homeschooler.  This way, she avoids the Senior project, on (HS) campus advisory classes, and the HSPE testing. 

She will complete her AA degree and receive a Washington State high school diploma at the same time.  I would say that is time well spent!  Her plan is to go into the culinary program there at the college once she’s done with her AA, and complete that for a second AA degree.  Her passions are cooking, creative crafts, painting, and missions. She is currently in Swaziland, South Africa on a 2-week mission trip. She will return home this coming Monday.