Wet miserable Saturday

When Hubby and I woke up this morning, the sun was almost rude in it's intrusion in to the bedroom windows. Now, just a few short hours later, it's grey, miserable, and raining. The wind has really picked up, and it just does not seem like a day to be doing much outdoors. See - this is why Fall is not one of my favourites.

Hubby and the A-man have an outdoor task today that has to be completed. We have noticed that our front ditches have way more water in them than they normally do, but we weren't really sure of the cause. Now we know. A beaver has built a dam in the culvert just south of our property. Hubby and I went to look at it last night, and the whole culvert is jammed full of twigs and sticks. It actually looks like trees are growing out of the area! Just noticed Hubby walking down the driveway with a big rake. I guess the eviction of the beaver has begun...

The A-man has his "Safe Boater's" course tomorrow morning, and we are going to invite my parents for dinner tomorrow night, so I reminded him that he did need to work on both his project and his Science lab today. Well, you would have thought I'd asked him to donate a kidney without anesthetic from the reaction I got! Apparently there was a 'new show' on at noon that he has been looking forward to all week, and he just knew I was going to find a way to 'ruin' that for him. (See, I must spend time just thinking of ways to tick this child off...) Anyway, I told him to relax - he could take that half hour to watch some TV - and he just had to be aware that the afternoon would have to be spent on some school work. He did spend some time working on the project prior to the start of the show.

I sent a letter to S's SERT yesterday outlining some of the concerns/errors I noted on the IEP and indicated that if these could be changed, I would sign off on it. Although it isn't totally without some problems, this has to be the best IEP I have ever seen from this school. The one thing I have to keep in mind is that this is a 'working document' that can be revisited time and time again, if necessary. I believe the necessary accommodations are in place, and that is the main concern I have.

The EA, classroom teacher and SERT have been made aware of my upcoming business trip, and we are all taking the time to reassure S that all will be fine while I am away. Past experience has shown us that he is more likely to experience a few negative episodes at the school any time I have travelled away from home for work. I am going to go put notes in his agenda with respect to where he will be going on which days, and who he will be spending his time with, that sort of thing. My hope is that if he has that all clearly outlined, it will ease his anxiety about who, what, where and when. His EA will begin talking about it more with him starting Monday. I can't imagine what makes him so anxious. I'm not sure if it's the unknown about himself, or if it's because *I* am not around. He can't express it - I don't think he really knows himself. Anxiety can't be explained, I guess.

Due to Hubby's weird shift times, although he is on the 'day shift', and will be home in the evenings, he leaves at 5am, and the boys would have to get themselves off to school in the mornings. We know that wouldn't likely be very successful. So, for the morning I leave, I will get them off to school, and they will each spend that night at the Grandparent's house that is closest to their schools. The A-man will be with my parents, S will be with Hubby's parents. They will go to school from Grandparents on Thursday morning, but will return home on the bus for Thursday evening, as they have no school on Friday. They will then spend Sunday and Monday nights with Grandparents, and will return home as normal on Tuesday. That is the day I will be back home. (It always takes a fair bit of shuffling when I have a trip to take, so it's very fortunate that it's only a couple of times a year.)

My plans for the day are to purge clothes from both mine and hubby's closests. I know he has tons of sweaters and such that he never wears - they are going. I have things that I've had for too many years - they need to go, as well. Problem is - I'm such a pack rat, it's difficult for me to actually DO it. I am resolved that it will be done. I will post pictures of our nicely cleaned out and reorgainzed closets. You can all give me heck if I don't do it, okay? My next post will be before and after pictures. If I make this resolution, I will be very shamed faced if it doesn't happen!

And so I am off...