Whoa

I came across this picture today....

It was taken just 3 years ago. I am dumbfounded as to how little the kids look. It made me very happy and sad. Happy because I see the joy on their faces and think about how special this moment was starting the elf on the shelf tradition. I had begun dreading the return of the elf this year. It's always when I'm tired and ready for bed that Aaron reminds me that we have to move the elf and I started to regret the thing. But, when I saw this photo and the morning the elf returned this year and Owen began remincing about his antics it made me so very happy! Knowing that these are memories he will carry forever I knew then it was all worth it! 

The reason I feel sad? Well, look how big these kids have grown in just 3 years! Grace is in a kid body in this photo and now she is in an adult body!! No wonder she's so out of whack sometimes, look what she has transformed into in just 3 years! I also think about how naive she is here to the elf and now she joins me in the joy of creating the next elf antic! She had saved me many times last year by moving Buddy early in the morning after I had forgot! It is just so crazy how 3 years brings about so much change. This will be one of those moments where I have to say... Thank you social media for stopping Father Time and taking me back to a wonderful moment of Christmas past! 

Chair assignments

Grace got some cool news today! They recently had auditions for chair assignments for band. Because our band is so big and they don't have enough room they have to split the band into two. They have an ensemble band and symphonic band. Ensemble band is the higher level band. 

There are 20ish flutists in the band. They take 6 for ensemble and the rest in symphonic. Grace got her chair placement and was placed 2nd chair for symphonic band and 8th in all!!! So very proud of her 😊 I guess u can say she takes after her mom when it comes to her music talent, ha!

RAD, is not a cool term

Doing a little bit of studying on RAD Reaction Detachment Disorder. It is a condition of one of my students that I have this year. Here is the first paragraph I read which truly brought me to tears. Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is a condition found in children who have received grossly negligent care and do not form a healthy emotional attachment with their primary caregivers -- usually their mothers -- before age 5. Attachment develops when a child is repeatedly soothed, comforted, and cared for, and when the caregiver consistently meets the child's needs. It is through attachment with a loving and protective caregiver that a young child learns to love and trust others, to become aware of others' feelings and needs, to regulate his or her emotions, and to develop healthy relationships and a positive self-image. The absence of emotional warmth during the first few years of life can negatively affect a child's entire future. I will go more into this disorder at another time as to how I have been learning to deal with her condition. It is all so overwhelming and a hard concept to learn. This is a real tough one. It makes me sad that I don't feel I have the skills for what she really needs at school but where do these kids go has been the biggest question. I am finding its not an easy answer.

Dress Shopping

Here it is the chosen one!!