We Love Gymnastics!

Alyssa had her first meet of the season on Saturday. She did very well! We can't seem to get the video working so these snapshots will have to do for now.

Here goes the round-off back-handspring... Check out that rebound!

Today she received an invitation to workout with the Level 5 gymnasts on Fridays. She's excited to start working on new skills. Yea, Alyssa!

The Locker Incident

Just when I thought I’d seen and heard it all, the teacher called.

It was the Friday of the first full week of school and Natalie and I were just ordering lunch at the mall food court when my cell phone rang. It’s always disconcerting to have the teacher call but getting that call in the middle of the day is that much more worrisome. Caleb’s teacher politely asked if I had a minute to talk. The timing was certainly not perfect but these phone calls take precedence, so I raised an excuse-me-for-a-moment finger to the woman waiting behind the pizza counter, then walked away to hear the news of the day.

I had given Caleb some lunch money that morning. He set the money on his bathroom counter while he brushed his teeth, then he headed out the door leaving the five-dollar bill behind. I noticed the money later in the morning but for whatever reason, it didn’t occur to me that it was Caleb’s lunch money. He had, after all, always been quite careful with his money so it was easy to assume the cash came from one of the girls’ frequently played-with piggy banks.

Evidently, when lunch time arrived and Caleb couldn’t find his money, he had what his teacher deemed a “total meltdown.” He was so upset at having lost his money that he curled himself in a ball and refused to speak to anyone. Though his teacher repeatedly tried to assure him that he could get lunch on loan, he maintained that he would not eat and could not join the class in the lunch line. The exact details and order of what followed are not clear to me (the teacher and Caleb have slightly different versions), but what I do know is that Caleb felt the need to go somewhere out of public view. He was quietly—no tears—upset but did not want anyone to look at his face for fear they’d read the distress all over his expression.

I suppose I understand that part. People stare. Kids stare harder. His classmates were probably all aware of the situation and gawking at the events as they unfolded. What I don’t understand is the location to which we chose to escape. He somehow managed to contort his lanky legs up behind his ears, squeezed himself into his locker (with a backpack also in it) and closed the door.

We took this picture at Open House. How in the world did he fit himself in there?

Another student alerted the teacher and she went immediately to get him out. The lockers are marked with each student’s number and because it was so early in the year, the teacher didn’t yet know which number belonged to Caleb and therefore didn’t know which locker he was in. They quickly figured it out and opened the door to find what Caleb’s teacher described as “the most scared little mouse anyone had ever seen.” He was eventually coaxed from his confinement, did eat lunch and was soon running to the playground for recess. I think the whole incident, though disturbing, was fairly short-lived and Caleb rebounded from it very quickly.

Over the last six months or so, Caleb has seemed to be more unstable emotionally. This is very typical for a pre-teen with his disabilities, but it has presented us with new challenges that we have not yet faced. He is more easily upset and more difficult to calm. It seems his anxiety has been sent into overdrive. He’s beginning to develop a greater sense of self-awareness but remains painfully unaware of socially acceptable ways of dealing with his unique discomforts and disappointments. When I suggested that, for future reference, he go to a bathroom stall if he needed to be alone, he resisted stating that other students might wonder why he was taking so long. I’m baffled that he would be concerned with what others might think about an extended bathroom visit, but not be cognizant about the appearance of a 10-year-old boy bending himself into a small locker in the middle of the hallway.

We consulted his doctor about some of his recent emotional disturbances even before this locker incident. He advised getting set up with a counselor with the possibility of prescribing anti-anxiety medication if symptoms worsen. We’ve had difficulty finding a therapist that is suited to our situation and also covered by our insurance and open to new patients. I think I did, just today, find a good match but she has a six month waiting list. This is a pivotal year for Caleb as he prepares to transition to middle school and we’re doing our best to give him all the help he needs.

Caleb’s teacher, in her unique, overly dramatic way, remarked to me that her heart hurt so greatly from the image of seeing Caleb crunched into his locker, that she needed a glass of wine upon returning home from school. I admit to wishing that I too could indulge in such an escape from an aching heart. But alas, I believe that strong drinks are not for the belly, so we therefore choose to just stay on our knees a little bit longer. We appreciate all the prayers offered in Caleb’s behalf.

I would be remiss if I did not share the happy ending to this story. As we sat around the dinner table on the Sunday following the locker event, Caleb very matter-of-factly stated, “Well, tomorrow’s a school day.” I was utterly shocked by the slight bit of enthusiasm in his voice and before I could clarify what his tone was implying, he added, “I think I’m starting to feel like school is fun.”

That is when I knew that the locker incident did not cause lasting distress. It was already a distant memory and he was focused on what was good about his new class. And he also now had the tools to know how to appropriately handle similar situations.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

Alyssa is my deep thinker. This morning while I was doing her hair for school, she tickled her neck with her fingers and asked, "Mom, why when you try to tickle yourself, it doesn't tickle?"

Good question. Anyone know how to answer it?

Wearing His Heart On His Chest

You want to know what's in Caleb's heart? Just look at his shirt.


I couldn't help but notice the pattern as I folded his laundry this week. He's got a well-rounded collection which includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and several NCAA conferences.

Which is his favorite? That's a tough call, but it's probably the BYU shirt that is not pictured only because he's currently wearing it!

Superstar Saturday

Though I’ve had plenty of thoughts and events about which to write, I haven’t seemed able to get them posted to the blog. I want to change that. My memory is weak and if the experiences of my life aren’t recorded, they will get lost in the shuffle of the madness inside my brain.

This past weekend was all about having one-on-one time with our kids.

Jon and Caleb enjoyed a quick fishing trip to Whistler, Canada. The drive was long and DVD-free but evidently the scenery proved entertaining enough. They camped overnight then spent the majority of the next day learning to fish. The plethora of black bears didn’t frighten Caleb since he’s quite sure they consume only fish and honey. From what I can tell, it was the perfect outing for a dad and his ten-year-old son, even if they did have to give up a Saturday of college football. What was the best part? “Everything!-- except getting wet!” Drenched denim is not only difficult to remove but quite uncomfortable.

While the boys were off having all sorts of manly fun, Alyssa and I were enjoying an outing of our own. The Tour of Gymnastics Superstars rolled into town, fresh from their Beijing Olympic glory. We got tickets with many other gymnasts from her gymnastics team and one mom made matching t-shirts for the girls to wear. The Tacoma Dome was swarming with squealing little girls, all with the same—most likely improbable—dream of achieving their own Olympic greatness.

This is what happens when you have a bunch of gymnasts waiting in a long line. They just can't stay on their feet that long. I remember the feeling.

Because we purchased our tickets as a group, we got to go early and participate in what they called “Chalk Talk.” They had three gymnasts talk to us and take some of their questions. While the three—Shannon Milller, Raj Bhavsar and Justin Spring (remember Prince Harry?)—spoke with the girls, the other members of the cast were hanging out and warming up for the show. We watched Shawn get stretched out, Nastia warm-up on the bars in her slippers and then send a text on her phone, while Alicia Sacramone flirted with one of the guys. Paul and Morgan Hamm seemed to stay to themselves and the rhythmic gymnasts loosened up by bending their limbs into positions no human body should go. It was really exciting!

That's "Prince Harry" with the microphone with Raj on his left and Shannon sitting next to him on the right. You can see Nastia sitting on the stage on the right of the high bar.

The actual show started with a performance from Mitchell Musso of Hannah Montana fame. I’d never heard of him but judging by the crowd of shrieking girls, he’s quite popular. I thought he was alright but I didn’t come for a teeny-bopper rock concert, I wanted to see some flipping. After about three songs, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin came out to introduce the show. It really was very entertaining. Many of the routines are watered down in difficulty when compared to what was done in competition, but their skills were nevertheless impressive. They had three high bars, which I think is one of the most amazing events, and they’d have up to six guys (two on each) swinging around them.

The show also included a girl’s rock band called KSM. They were MUCH too loud for our sensitive ears so we were careful to plug them through their several songs. What a relief it was to have Nastia follow them with a floor routine to Ave Maria. There were, of course, many numbers with a lot of dancing and some of the gymnasts are certainly more suited for double layouts than they are for hip hop. But overall, I’d give the show two big thumbs-up!

For me, the best part was being with Alyssa and watching her so thoroughly enjoy herself. She hooted and hollered for her idols and was doubling excited to see Shawn Johnson don a “fancy” pink costume and perform to a Hannah Montana song. Her performance included the occasional air guitar strum in between leaps and flip flops. Any budding gymnasts dream, right?

Here is Shawn Johnson doing her "American Woman" routine. Unfortunately, my camera is just no good in big arenas like this. I didn't get very many good pics.

Natalie spent her one-on-one time with a favorite babysitter. She gets her solo time with me every day when the big kids go to school so I didn’t feel too badly about leaving her all day long. And she thought getting the babysitter to herself was quite the treat.

It was a great Saturday for all!

Goooooooo Cougars!

We visited some of our favorite Husky fans at their tailgate party. Ivan has a purple van to use just for these occasions. Now that's what I can a fan!

How high were we?....About this high...

But the view of the field was great!

The "Haka"

It was a beautiful Seattle day.

Controversial or not, WE WON!

Drinking Lemonade

When life gives me lemons, I tend to bite into them whole, pucker my face at their tartness and then complain that my serving of citrus seemed to be purchased in bulk. And because I’m a mom, I get to taste my kids’ lemons too. I suppose using them for lemonade doesn’t cross my mind because at our house, it comes from powdered concentrate.

Last Wednesday, Caleb and I went to the school to meet with the fifth grade teacher that was hand-picked for him last spring. We’ve learned that it’s best for all involved if we lay some groundwork before the school year begins. This helps ease the anxiety and helps the teacher have a better understanding of Caleb. He really is a great kid who has proven he can be successful if we’re all using the right tools as we work together.

Caleb is not a child that is enthusiastic about going back to school each fall. But after our meeting with the teacher, we both came away feeling like we’d just had a nice, cold glass of lemonade. She was easy to talk to, very understanding, reassuring and best of all, knowledgeable. She has a background in special education and seemed especially equipped to help Caleb with his unique challenges. Caleb was able to select the desk he felt most comfortable in and he appeared much less dreadful about the new school year.

Last Friday afternoon, however, a big ol’ lemon landed in our laps. The school district did some last minute realignments and Caleb’s teacher was suddenly asked to teach a 4th/5th grade split class. Knowing that a split class is not best for Caleb, the principal moved him to a traditional 5th grade classroom. My heart stopped when I heard the news. Because Caleb struggles with even minor changes, I knew it would be devastating to him. And it didn’t make the sour situation any sweeter to have the principal “reassure” me that this new teacher was the “second best” fit for him. Nothing like being told your child is getting second best.

Caleb took the news far harder than I could’ve imagined. He was angry and hurt and couldn’t understand how someone could do this to him.

“But Mom,” he cried, “I already met my teacher!”

He ranted about hating the school and never wanting to return. He was so upset that I had to suspend revealing the new teacher’s name for more than an hour. And just in case one lemon wasn’t enough, I handed him a second when I had to inform him that his two best friends had now been moved into that split class that was supposed to be his.

Jon arrived home and after acknowledging his own feelings of displeasure, tried teaching Caleb about what to do with life’s lemons. He explained the old familiar saying and let him know we’d help him make lemonade out of this super sour predicament. Caleb was not in any kind of lemonade-making mood and frankly, neither was I.

Since Monday was a holiday, I called the school first thing Tuesday morning (the day before the 1st day of school) to start the groundwork-laying process all over again. Caleb had to be bribed into going but I knew the visit was an essential step to dealing with his emotions and getting to the point where he could be OK with this change. By the end of our one-hour meeting, we both felt reassured that everything was going to work out just fine. She was very easy (and fun) to talk to and I sensed that she would be more than capable of meeting our needs.

Wednesday morning brought a few nerves but everything went off without a hitch. Both of the kids slipped comfortably back into the school morning routine. I walked them to school and was able to snap a quick picture of Alyssa at her desk. As I left the classroom, I commented to my friend whose son is in the class, “I have the cutest little girl in the whole world!” Every mom feels that way, right?

After school, I met Alyssa outside her classroom to make sure she and her little walking buddies figure out where to meet. In the midst of the madness that goes on outside the school during the first few days, I ran into Caleb’s teacher. She gave me the thumbs-up and gushed about how well he did. She was so warm and friendly that I squealed like a little girl and told her I wanted to give her a hug. She grabbed me and as she squeezed me tight, gave me all sorts of reassurance about how he was going to be just fine. I thought I might cry. But I held it together.

I saw her again after the second day and her report was much of the same. The more I talk to her, the more I feel that this change, as traumatic as it was, just very well may have been a blessing in disguise. She seems to have the teaching style that works best for Caleb and she’s very easy to communicate with, which is always so important for us.

Neither Caleb nor I can take much credit for the sweetness of our lemonade. We both dug our heels in pretty deep on this one. Instead, we give credit to our Heavenly Father who hears and answers our prayers. He knows Caleb and I were both in need of a large glass of lemonade and in order to have that drink, we first needed some lemons. I’m sure this year will have its bumps, just as any school year does, but we both feel at peace and I’ve learned that I shouldn’t be so quick to complain about the sour juice I have to drink and rely more on my faith in He who can help us make it sweet.