The best ID ever!

We survived the first week of school. Okay, so we only had school two days this week but we lived to tell the tale! I am very glad it's the weekend so we have time to relax and reflect.

Emmie, I think, had an okay day. Their desks have been moved so I will be watching to see how that goes. The first day their desks were all facing forward and I really felt that was the best opportunity for Emmie to see the speaker and stay engaged, without the distractions of the group style seating. However, today, their desks were moved to groups. Apparently the teachers were having a hard time moving around the room with the desk the other way. I can understand that, after all in California our K-3 increased from 20 students to 28 students. Eight isn't a big number but when you have an extra eight kids with another eight sets of needs...it probably seems like 20 more kids in there! I will be monitoring this seating situation.

The best part of Emmie's day occurred after school though. We stopped by to visit the Special Education teacher. We didn't see her at lunch because they cut back the hours and staff in her classroom, so it wasn't a safe situation to have her students in lunch. Not enough eyes and hands to help the kids in that large of an environment. So, to be safe, they had lunch in their classroom. Emmie really connected with one of her students last year. Apparently, this year if there is a time where Emmie needs to "work" to have a reward then the reward is going to be going into that classroom and helping out. She was so excited and has been talking about it ALL night. At dinner, she sat down and proclaimed she was going to eat all her dinner and put her plate in the dishwasher so she could have her "job". I am so proud that she wants to work hard and the reward is also helping other students! I'm not sure yet how I will implement this reward during school and if I will also carry her behavioral requirements to the house as well. I am thinking of a simple sticker chart at home, or maybe a chore that she has to complete during the week. I will have to speak more to her Resource Specialist (the Superwoman) and her Classroom teacher. But, I'm so excited for her :)

On another note, I have an awesome recommendation for you! Let me explain. I require Emmie to wear a medical id bracelet. I have done extension research on the benefits of wearing a medical id bracelet, even for children with mild communication disorders like CAPD. After all, better safe than sorry, right? I searched and searched for the perfect "kid friendly" bracelet. I found a company and emailed them a list of questions to confirm it would work for Emmie. They gave me all the right answers and I ordered her a bracelet. She has had it for about a month and it isn't working out. The band will not stay tight and the cover is beginning to peel off. I emailed them and they gave me a full refund. So, I had to start thinking outside the box. I needed it to be durable. Emmie can be a girly girl, but she can also climb a tree like a pro and dig the best hole with a spoon! I found a wonderful company called Road ID. They make identification bracelets, dog tags, and shoe id's for athletes. I found it on the Runner's World website when I was training for a half marathon, however it didn't occur to me until a few days ago that it would be perfect for Emmie as well! I ordered one and it arrived today. I LOVE IT. I LOVE IT. I LOVE IT. I can not say that enough! Durable band, Velcro closure so it grows with her, stainless steel "information" plate. The price is very reasonable at $19.99 each. And the best part is you can change the plate! So, if my phone number changes or we need to add anything, I just buy a new plate! It also comes in a variety of colors! She also likes it..which is a huge bonus! So, if you need an identification bracelet for sports, field trips, travel, or situations like Emmie...I HIGHLY recommend Road ID! I'm ordering one for myself soon for when I run :)

Whew! Thank goodness we survived....hopefully next week will go smoothly!