December

I have really been behind on my blog. I thought I'd try and catch up some more! Court is with the youth in our ward and the older ones had a date night activity. The boys had to ask out girls to go with them and we met at one of the other leaders home and they had made a nice dinner. After we all bundled up and went to Temple square. It was very clod and busy, but it was so beauitful! Everything was lit up with millions of Christmas lights and the whole time we were there I was thinking of how much Savannah would love to see this and how excited she would to see so many lights! It was a lot of fun to go with all of the other couples and the youth. The Temple was so breath taking.

We have had Xander on a long waiting list for this amazing Autistic preschool for a very long time just in case. It is about a 2 year waiting list. Savannah was put on it after she had gotten her diagnosis of autism. But, for her last year of preschool she was still 80 on the list. I am so glad and feel so blessed that she has had the most amazing and caring teachers. We will always remember what they have done for her. She has come so far!  In December I got an email from this school asking if we still wanted him assessed to go to this school and for autism. I have heard so many great things about this school and their teachers. It is all day and it would give him amazing structure. I love my Xandersours so much but he is just so intense, never stops, and he is just exhausting. LOL. I called a friend of my friends from Kids on the move to see if I should even try. She said that sometimes if the child seems to really need the extra help and would benefit from their program then they might let him in. She told me again how great this school is and and that it would be so good for him!  I know that he has his little quirks but he is so different from Savannah, but at the same time I really wonder. I wasn't sure because he is doing so well and I didn't think he would qualify.  But then, I don't quite know normal, so I'm not really the best judge :)  But, I decided that it was worth seeing.

Then, a couple days later I got a call from the preschool. They wanted me to come bring him in that day to have him assessed. So, just after Savannah had gotten home from school, I got them into the car. Neither of them were very happy. They were both crying at me, " I want milk, juice, juice, juice, I want my couch, I need dinner, I want my house, JUICE, JUICE, JUICE!" After trying to persuade them with no success, I tried to drown them out with music and tried to get them to sing whit me but, they just cried harder.  After a bit, they had calmed down enough to hear me and I told Savannah that we were going to see if Xander could go to a school like hers, yes with toys.  And, that Xander would also ride a yellow magic school bus just like hers! She calls her bus the magic school but :) It's so cute! Then she was so excited and kept saying, "Xander and Savannah together on magic school bus!!" I told her that he would go on a different bus and a different school and she stared crying :( I felt so bad. But I couldn't help but be glade to know that she really loves her little brother!!

When we got there, they took Xander to assess him and watch him play, and Savannah I went to a different room, Savannah with an awesome doll house and people that she got to pick out of there toy room, and I answered questions and filled out some booklets and papers. And of course Savannah had to have a bowel moment while we were there. I felt bad but they were really nice about it and didn't seem to mind. They let me use their changing area to change her. Anyway, later they came back and asked me what we would do if Xander didn't get in and my heart fell. I thought that for sure he didn't get in. I had no idea what we would do except hope that we can get him into the Special Education preschool through the public schools like Savannah did. Then he said, "We have approved Xander to be in the --- program!!!"  It was like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders and I knew that Xander would have the best support and opportunities that we could get him. I am so thankful! Then, I started imagining him getting on a bus and leaving me for over 6 hours, 4 days a week :( That will be so hard for me. He is my little baby! He is so little! One year olds are surpassing him in height. He won't even be able to climb up on the stairs to get onto the bus. My baby!!! I don't know if I will be able to let him go. The thought of it just makes me want to hold him supper tight and cry! At least I have a few months to prepare myself.

Xander will start around his birthday in April, and we are still waiting for their results of weather or not he is autistic. Weather he is or not he is still my cute little Zandersours and we will always love him just the same. We will just have to make sure that he gets the help that he needs. We have learned that we can get through anything and trials will just make us stronger and more humble as a family.

These are my boys!!

This is our reindeer food that we made! Savannah and Xander were such good helpers! HERE is the printable! I just used oatmeal and red, green, and white sprinkles. It was supper easy!