Snow Day!

Finally! Snow actually fell and accumulated. We've had a few snowfalls, but they have only been teases - leaving a small dusting behind that melts before the kids get out of school. Today we were awakened at five by the automated voice of DH's school district stating that school was canceled for the day. Woohoo! DH didn't have to get up at his normal 5:30 and got to sleep in until 7 when the kids are finally allowed to get up. And then he treated me to a morning vegging in bed while he got up with the kids and took care of them. I can't remember the last morning I slept in, between him working on Saturdays and me working on Sundays, so this morning was such an incredible present. Happy Valentine's Day, indeed!

A just read all this out loud over my shoulder and wants me to write the next story about Hammer the Nails (that's what he says the title should be). Yesterday was a very long but productive day. I had A's IEP meeting which ended up being three hours long. We brainstormed lots of ideas for his increasing anxiety and screaming tantrums as well as suggestions about the non-existent potty training. I brought with me to the meeting a one page document that I had written that included every single thing I have tried to get this kid to go in the toilet. I described every incentive plan we have had, every chunk of time that we have required him to sit on the potty and every chunk of time that we have tried between trips to the potty. I described all the special toys he was only allowed to play with while on the toilet, the games that we tried (like "Sink the Cheerio") even how we tried pouring luke-warm water over him while he sat on the toilet. And bottom line, he has never ever done anything but sit or stand on or at the potty. I asked for a special group to come out and work with him. The IU finally agreed, though they won't pay for it until this summer, seeing as then he will officially be "school-aged" since he goes to Kindergarten in September.

After that meeting, I had just enough time to get J down for a nap and the boys down on the couch for "quiet time" when my next meeting for the day began with a knock on the door. A young rabbi arrived to talk with me about a group called "The Friendship Circle," a Jewish organization that sets up trained teenage volunteers with families that have kids with special needs so the child can have a teenage "friend" and the family can have a little respite. Very nice. He wanted to meet with A and get a sense of him, finding out if he would take a while to warm up (not a problem with my overly social son) or would even acknowledge him at all. It was great to have someone rough house with the kids for a little while I got to sit on the couch.

And then DH got home early. My Hebrew School was canceled for the night as was his rehearsal, so I took advantage of all that extra time and cleared out a lot of junk from the bedroom. I just had gotten rid of a large bench we had in the room (took up too much space and wasn't getting used much) - I LOVE Freecycle! - and bought an inexpensive file cabinet from Staples to create a small office nook for my business stuff. DH helped me move the computer armoire over which really opened the area up. After I cleaned up a lot I started hanging pictures back up around the house. Which brings us back to why A wanted this to be called "Hammer the Nails."

Whew!

Okay, I have to get the chicken out of the crockpot (Southwestern chicken - so easy - two cans of corn, one can of black beans, one bottle of salsa, chicken pieces, stir and cover, cook) so we can eat dinner. Hope you have had a great snow day!