The forgotten ones

Kaitlyn's Valentine card from Uncie Nic

Ok, I don't purposely post only about Eli, but he's just a much more complicated kiddo right now. I probably should post an about about my other two angels b/c they've got some pretty big things coming
Kaitlyn-
I can't believe I am soon to be the mother of a kindergartner. We go to kindergarten round-up tonight to see the school and meet the teachers. I just learned yesterday that our district does all day, every day kindergarten. So, starting in September, my oldest baby will leave on the bus at 8:30 AM and not come home until 3:30 pm. It seems like such a long day for a little girl. She is, of course, very excited. I told her about riding a bus and she knew that she would "have to hurry, so she won't miss her school bus". I think Kaitlyn was most excited about going to school without her sister and she said then she wouldn't have to share her friends.
It's just so sad to think of my girls being at a different school. I just can't financially swing sending Kaitlyn to a private school though. I wish I could, but I'm sure she'll be just fine at her new elementary. It's just Mommy that needs time to adjust to the idea.
Genny-
I still can't believe that my tiny 1 lb 8 oz micropreemie is coming up on 4 years. Genny has just come leaps and bounds in the past year. She is still a tiny little thing, but always our "tiny & mighty" Genny. Genny is doing a lot better with her eating. We just got the ok to come to feeding clinic every other week for the next quarter. She is eating a ton of foods and most nights she eats more then her sister. Gen never fails to surprise me with her eating. Last night she gobbled up my stir-fry that was loaded with peppers and onions. She wanted "more little chickens w/ weeds"...I think she meant more stir-fry beef and peppers :)
Gen is still our munchkin, but she is growing. At feeding clinic last week she was just shy of 25 lbs. She's gained 3 lbs in 4 months, a huge growth spurt for our Genny-bug. She is starting to fit into 2T size clothes, but we still have to hike up her pants with a belt. Her favorite item lately is her stretchy pants. It just cracks me up when Shawn dresses her in jeans and 5-min later she's undressed and put on a pair of her stretchies.
I got a good phone call from Gen's EI teachers yesterday regarding her review for her 4-yr bday. Her teachers don't think she needs any more of their services! Gen has come so far in the 2 years she's been in Early Intervention. At her 2 yr birthday she wasn't talking, refused to walk and always did things with only one hand. Now they are talking about graduating her!
Since Gen did qualify for EI at 2 yrs, she isn't "due" to be re-tested until she is 5 years. I think I will probably keep her in the program b/c she really needs the social interaction of preschool. Genny is still very ADD/ADHD, has a lot of social immaturities, and is still pretty behind in gross motor due to her tiny size. But besides making her physically & emotionally develop faster (I am still in experimentation w/ my magic growth beans, but they haven't worked on her brother yet), there aren't a lot of services that EI can provide to assist her. It is really nice to see the progress she has made and I know pushing Gen is the best thing to do. She is just one of those kids who will do as little as you expect of her, but if you push her to do age appropriate activities, she can do them. We may have to be more creative in coming up with new goals for her IEP (individual eduction plan), but it is just wonderful to know that when she gets to kindergarten she will be ready to go into a regular classroom.

I still can't believe how fast my kids are growing up. It's nice when the girls are at school and I am able to concentrate on Eli's cares, but it does made me sad when I realize how fast they are growing & developing without me being there. Sometimes I just wish they could stay little for a while longer, but most days I pray for all my kiddos to keep growing.

My little choc-o-holic

Stuffing her cheeksLooks like a mouse was here