The Turcotte Bunch: 2012

I haven't updated this blog for like... um, 4 months. Wowee! For anyone who has ever said "Oh, Karen, you're so organized. I don't know how you do it!" Pooh, on you - I told you I wasn't that organized. It's a facade. LOL

Honestly, I've thought about blogging like a hundred times, but I've not really known what to blog about. Things have drastically changed since last semester when I was blogging about homeschooling. First and foremost, we're not homeschooling this semester, as Greg & I felt God leading us to put the kids in the public school environment to gain exposure to more friends in our new community as well as to give mama some space. I was beging to feel a bit suffocated.

Last semester was not an easy one with Daniel. Most of our drama was due to him being put on the wrong medication by his new doctor here, but moving took it's toll on all of us. There were rages; there were breakdowns; there was complete and total shut downs happening with Daniel. This is a testament to not just "trusting" your worldly doctors. They don't know your child like you do.
Fortunately, God led us to a new psychiatrist in Dec. who was able to get to know Daniel and our whole situation with accuracy. She diagnosed Daniel with 'high functioning aspergers' and she was spot on! Many would be very distraught at such a diagnosis, but we were not. We knew that this child wasn't bi-polar as we'd been told by the previous dr we found here in Houston. We're all just so thankful that we finally got away from that guy. He was a menace to the profession. I pray for his soul because he is as lost as lost can be. So saying all that, after having such a hard time schooling Daniel on top of all the drama, we decided it best to give me some space and to get him enrolled in public school where he could be in a regular classroom again and to see that mom wasn't really making up that the work was getting harder and harder. I knew he'd do better on the new meds, but he needed the reality check anyway, and I needed to try to let him soar.
He got that message... and quick.
We are now living a mutually respectful existance. Ahhhh!

He's a precious boy and he can be incredibly delightful. He just has to know how to connect cause with effect and to have some separation from his overqualified mom. Having aspergers has kept
him from understanding a lot of social cues, but even the case worker and counselor at the kids new school believes that he is so much better off than most kids on the autism spectrum because he's been given a lot of strategies already for learning and for coping with his peers. We can all keep learning more, however.

So, it's been an adventurous road we've been on in 2012. Some days are terrific; others are not so terrific. However, God is at work and we see much progress in Daniel and I'm beginning to get a better sense of my role as well. Daniel qualified for what's called a "Section 504" at Theiss school. Under this, Daniel can receive some modifications that are much needed to keep him motivated. However, it's usually an uphill battle making sure each teacher is fully on board.... and it has been. SaraKay has adjusted quite well, but she's a social bird, and 2nd grade curriculum is pretty easy, so that's a double win for her. She's made new friends and is learning to stand on her own two feet for her faith in Jesus Christ. She's finding the difference between being popular, being okay being different and standing up for the underdog.

So what in the world am I doing now that I'm at home all alone during the day? Well, we got a dog for the kids for Christmas, so Nina keeps me company. That's a plus! Also, a friend of mine from BSF invited me to join her in leading a Bible study at a nursing home about 45 minutes away. I prayed about it for a couple of weeks and after some reservation, I finally gave it a go. The first week there I wasn't really sure what I could add to the mix, but soon enough I saw a piano and in the bench was an old Baptist hymnal...the rest has become a weekly tradition of me adding music to the mix. I go every Wednesday morning with Vernelia, and last week, I led the actual study since Vernelia has a special class she now has to attend once a month on Wednesdays. It went so well! I love those precious people! I like giving to them not expecting anything in return. The lady pictured with me above cannot speak, but amazingly, she can sing... so she especially brings joy to my heart every week as I lead them in some praise music. I guess that's how it works with real service, isn't it?

I'm also volunteering up at the kids' school library two afternoons a week, shelving books and such. I like helping them out with something like this that goes unrecognized by most others. The 2 librarians are so nice and they need the help.

Meet our new dog, Nina!

I was attending a Bible study on Tuesdays but I'm not in that any longer. I still attend BSF every Monday night with SaraKay and that's going really well. Daniel and Greg go to the men's BSF across town.

SaraKay and I spent the weekend in Galveston
with Angela & her girls.

I will share photos of some of the interesting things we've done in the last 4 months. Much of what we're doing on Saturdays now involves learning contentment. It is indeed a learned concept. With so much around us in this HUGE city, it's easy to think that we need to be on the go, go, go. However, Greg and I are trying to patiently teach the kids (and internalize ourselves) that busyness doesn't equal quality time, and that quality time doesn't equal getting to do things just like I'd like them to be. Quality time is using the time given by God to give back to him without burning out. May you have a blessed day, and thanks for checking in on us Turkey Turcottes!