Thanksgiving...What I am Thankful For!

This holiday season finds me checking my list of what I am really thankful for.  First and foremost is having a physically healthy daughter...Danielle.  We may have challenges and disabilities, but she is healthy. Then the love I have for my husband and the love he has for us and how hard he works for his family.  Then my extended family, my daughters, their husbands, one of my daughter's fiance and my granddaughters. Then most of all is the love I have for my Savior and my big brother Jesus Christ and for His atoning sacrafice for me.  I know that He and my Heavenly Father loves me and knows me personally.  I know He doesn't give me any challenges I can't handle.

Part of our Thanksgiving tradition is to put up our Christmas tree and decorate it.  Along with having a simple dinner Thanksgiving night.  But this year was a little different.  First my wonderful husband bought me a new tree, one that already has the lights on it.  Our last tree was too difficult for me to put together and decorate. But the tree went up and Danielle and I decorated it. Then family came over for a wonderful Turkey dinner.  Brenna, Jason and my granddaughters came over and we played games. A wonderful time. Looking forward to the Christmas season.

Bully's. No place In My Life For Them!

I have to wonder why parents raise children who prey upon the weak or mentally ill or disabled.  My daughter is my hero!  For a teen with several things going against her, she has choosen to live her life by certain standards.  For instance, no smoking, no tattoos, no piercings, no "R" rated movies, good uplifting music, surrounds herself with uplifting friends, no swearing, this young lady has a love and testimony for our Lord.  Now, there is a girl at her school who herself suffers from mental illness, and who at one time was Danielle's friend, who decided to go down a different road.  Because of the choices that Dani has chosen she told this friend that she didn't want to be friends anymore.  Now this young lady taunts Dani and bully's her to no end.  I have gone to the school, I have emailed her teachers, at both schools and vice principle with no action as of yet.  I am keeping her home from school tomorrow because this other young lady yelled in my daughters face today that Dani was a "b---- and a whore along with being a black idiot".  Sorry but that is where I draw the line.  This taunting is making Danielle physically sick.  So, if I don't hear from the school tomorrow, I will go to the school district.  Again...why do parents raise children who prey upon the weak and disabled?  But I cheer for my daughter, she is my hero!

Parent/Teacher Conference

Tonight I had parent/teacher conference with Danielle's teachers and the transition school.  Her teachers say she is doing great, but she has this impulse to just constantly talk.  Something that a lot of the kids in her class love to do.  So that is one of the goals they are working on with her.  Then come January they are going to flip/flop her classes.  Go to junior high in the morning then the other school in the afternoon.  We will see if she can wake up that early for class work, so far it's been at 9:30 for class time, now it will be 8am.  Another transition.  But in the long run they are getting her ready for high school next year.

I don't know if I have any right in saying this but I have to put words to my feelings.  In one of my earlier posts I mentioned I went to a FASD seminar.  I sat towards the front and during this class, I was amazed at how many parents were struggling so much with their own situations that I actually felt, for the first time in a long time, how blessed I am to have already been down that road, that things are improving for the quality of life for my daughter.  But don't get me wrong, I know that there are many bumpy roads to travel but at this point in time...I can take a deep breath and exhale.  At least for right now.

Bragging Rights!!!!

Danielle called me while I was driving home from work, all excited because she got her report card.  She read it off to me so excited I had to wait until I got home to take a good look at it.  Here it is:  B, A, B, B+, A, A+...Honor Role Student!  I am so proud of her!   This was made possible because of a mom and dad fighting for what is right for her in her IEP meetings.  She is graded only on the work she does in class, she doesn't bring homework home because she would have meltdown after meltdown and that wasn't good for her or our family.  Dani is doing so good.  I had to brag for a minute!  We do have our moments but overall it's better than it was a little over a year ago.

FASD and Humor...We all Need It!

I went to a FASD seminar tonight that was hosted by the Utah Fetal Alcohol Coalition.  The speaker was from the SAMHSA FASD CEnter for Excellence out of Maryland.  So much information and knowledge about these kids that I came home with a different outlook on my daughter.  One of the things he said was to remember something funny about your child.  The last funny thing I remember happened just last week, on our way home from a doctors appointment.  During her appointment she was telling her doctor that she has many spurts of energy and she doesn't know what to do with it when it happens.  So on the way home she kept talking and talking and talking.  Never stopping.  I stopped her and asked her if her excessive talking was like one of those energey bursts she talks about with her doctor.  She stopped and looked at me sideways and said "No mom, it just comes naturally!".  She was so serious and proud of her proclamation that I laughed.  She started laughing with me, I don't think she understood why I was laughing but it was a precious moment.