April Recap

Hi! It's almost May. Whoa.

I'm going to guess that the thing people are most interested in is our job situation. So, here is the deal:

In spite of the somewhat misleading headline that you might have seen on Joe's Facebook page, he did not actually get his job back. Our dean, his department head, and my department head scrambled to cobble together enough work for us at the university to pay our bills and keep our health insurance. While I in no way want to diminish their efforts, for which we are incredibly grateful, it is not the same as if the decision to cut Joe's position had been reversed. We'll be working very hard for considerably less money and a large chunk of Joe's responsibilities are... well, we're not sure what will happen to them because apparently people are under the impression that magic elves are going to take over that work or something. All of this boils down to a few things: 1. We're very fortunate to have our immediate bosses who care enough to stretch budgets and shuffle schedules to give us a safety net for the next year. It's great to have some time to job hunt. 2. Joe is applying to positions left and right. If (when) he (or possibly me) is offered something full time and reasonable, he'll accept it and we'll be off to our next adventure. So, stay tuned. There are a few possibilities that may become reality over the next few months.

Other news in our household was, of course, Z starting at the elementary school. He's settling in well over there and I think Bear is enjoying his solo time with mama. It's definitely very different than when he was in Birth to 3. I miss the visits from his SLP and being able to constantly get her feedback, but the lead teacher at his class is great and I'm grateful that, for now, I can drop him off and pick him up so I can touch base with her on a regular basis. We've taken the plunge and gotten him a weighted compression vest for school because his last daycare felt like they got good results with it and his current teacher has agreed. Pricey! But, if it helps, then I want to give him every tool I can to help him succeed.

On that note, I want to give a shout-out to a college friend of mine, Catherine, who posted on her Facebook page about her son's Asperger's diagnosis and the importance of loving, supporting, and accepting your kids just as they are. Z's special needs are challenging sometimes, and I get really defensive about them because I don't want anyone underestimating him, judging him, or pitying him. He is smart as a whip and infinitely creative. So, yes, sometimes his differences can be difficult or discouraging, but he is only 3 and I am supremely confident that he is constantly becoming an even more amazing person.

Z and I are also enjoying going to our weekly swim class. It's great to have that one on one time with him and get to play with him. He loves the water so much! The teacher was very impressed by his confidence in the water and his steps toward learning to swim. I'm really glad we decided to do this together.

We've had some spates of illness over the last month, which has made things feel even crazier than they already had been feeling. Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever feel like we're having a normal month again. Maybe in like... ten years... maybe...