Kindergarden

Come fall, Kiana and Joseph will both be starting Kindergarden. Where has the time gone??? Just yesterday they were in diapers and needed bottles, then it was sippy cups and latches on the cupboard doors, now we are preparing them for school? What if I wake up some morning and find they are 16???? Scary thought! :)

   A part of me wants to hang onto them with both hands because it seems once they go to school they grow so much faster. Then there is another part that says, Woo hoo! Before you label me as a bad mom let me tell you, those two are a handful and then some! Even as toddlers they would look at each other then run in opposite directions, while I was left trying to decide which one to chase. They fight dreadfully but provide a united front if another child tries to grab something from one of them. They were barely walking when we had friends over and another toddler was beating up on Joseph. Kiana came up behind the child and began hitting him over the head with her toy, you do not hurt her Joseph! They are one another's best friends and worst enemies. They plan to get married and move in with my newly married sister and her husband 

someday!

                         

 Yesterday I had them both in at Greenfield for psych evals. Even though they have been with us since they were babies their "previous life" left scars that will never go away. That damage is permanent. One would think that beings they were babies when they were placed with us the damage would be minimal and it is, to a certain extent but our brains are being formed and connections being made from the moment of conception. We can try to rewire our childrens brains but we will never be able to wipe the damage away and begin anew. Anyway, they both had a few issues that were concerning us. I spoke with Bradens therapist and she suggested we get psych evals done and go from there. If everything checks out ok, wonderful, if not we can begin to work with the problem.

 Upon arrival at the Hugh Smith Center, I was handed two identical stacks of paper, one for each child. Those papers asked anything and everything. Then it was, sign here and here and here..... We were ushered back to a little 8x8 room, with one desk, four chairs, a few books and a plastic car and no windows. We spent the next two hours back there talking about Kiana and Joseph while they listened in. It doesn't take much of an imagination to figure out how that went! I despise talking about my childrens struggles in their presence! The doctor said that while our concerns were legitimate, the children were young and she hates to label them before they begin school. Her recommendation was to send them to school and see how they relate to their peers. Any learning disabilities can also be addressed at school since there isn't much we can do at this point. So, I left the office knowing about as much as I did when I went in, both children have some problems but they could just be "normal" childhood problems, we will have to wait and see how school goes. One plus, I now know I was thinking correctly! It is a constant struggle to know when to be alarmed. Am I being an overly cautious parent or is this truly a red flag waving?