On Joel's 3rd birthday (February 3rd) he started attending the county preschool for 3-4 year olds. I was thrilled that we were FINALLY able to get him into a program, and even more thrilled that we could FINALLY start focusing on his progress instead of all the areas of delays. (It feels like a punch in the gut when you have to sit through meeting after meeting and listen to a stranger explain test results that show your child is delayed. I just wanted to scream at them and say "YES I KNOW, NOW JUST HELP HIM!")

The first two days were rough. Joel had a difficult time when I had to drop him off and I had a difficult time leaving him knowing he was upset. Thankfully he adjusted quickly to the new routine and he is doing AWESOME. He has been communicating with us more than ever and it also seems to be helping sensory wise. It's exciting to see how he is growing, and even more exciting to see the smile on his face when he realizes that he learned something new.. like counting, for instance. One day he came home from preschool and counted to 6 all by himself. A few days later he was trying to count to 18!! He now walks around the house counting everything. :-)

I have to admit though, I felt a little bit of mom guilt when he started to progress. I felt like I [obviously] wasn't doing a good enough job at home or else he would already know these things. Right? Wrong. Joel has issues focusing. He still has issues with it at school. So regardless of what I could try at home, it really wouldn't have mattered. He needed the structure of the classroom setting. Being around the other kids definitely helps too.

Summer is approaching quickly and I'm nervous he will lose everything he has learned so far. I'm trying to find programs and activities that will hopefully help during the break from school. One fun thing we will be trying is teeball for 3-4 year olds. I'm not sure he will really learn anything from it but I know he will have fun meeting new friends and running around.  :-)

If you are stopping by for the first time and need to catch up, visit my previous blog - A Bee and His Honey

Ohio!

We arrived in Ohio on the 13th. Our trip went better than we expected (meaning, Joel did not cry for hours during our long car rides). We weren't able to see a few things we had planned (the tulip festival and the Mall of America) which was a bummer, but we survived and made it here safely--and that's all that matters!

We have been going nonstop since we arrived.. Between seeing family, house hunting, and doctor appointments (will post about that soon), we feel like we haven't had a chance to relax. We are ready to be in our own house and have our normal routine back!

Speaking of houses... We put an offer on a house a few days ago but the sellers decided to accept an offer from someone else. We weren't too upset about it.. It obviously wasn't meant to be ours. + We were able to find a house that is exactly like the first one (it's just in a different neighborhood and it doesn't have a finished basement) and we put an offer on it yesterday. We are still waiting to hear if the sellers will accept our offer! We should hear something tomorrow. *crosses fingers*


Jeremy starts his new job tomorrow morning! He was able to meet everyone last week, and he thinks he will like working there. I'm really excited for him! I know he has been wanting to do this for a very long time.

Big Changes and New Adventures

After months of discussion we have decided that it will be in the best interest of our family for Jer to leave active duty. This has not been an easy decision for us. We have gone back and forth for months about whether he should stay in or get out. We want to do what is best for Joel, and we believe that [for right now] this is the best choice. He is still planning to stay in the military, but just as a reservist.

Right now our plan is to move to Ohio, near family. I will be honest.. I'm not thrilled about moving there.. but Ohio has the best TSC doctors for Joel and that's worth it all. Plus, we desperately need the support system that being near family will offer. Once (maybe twice) a month date nights? Um.. YES, PLEASE. Our marriage could definitely benefit from that!


This will be a new adventure for our little family. We are excited! and omg, stressed!! The stress is mostly about Jer finding a new job, though. Because you know.. that's REALLY REALLY REALLY important! Other than that we are excited! haha!