It's been quite a week! It was the kids first week back to school. Seems like our long summer actually went faster than I imagined it would. We had all these fun summertime activities planned and while we did do most of them, there are a few that just didn't happen before school started. One of the things on my list of summertime activities was to get Emma in to see a Dr. about her separation anxiety. Since we moved a year ago, she has struggled with adapting to new friends, new ward, new school, new neighborhood, new bedroom.. etc. Her way of dealing with things has been to leach on to mom. This has definitely been different for me given that Emma has always been my most independent child. So, throughout the summer, we worked on different things and I thought she had come a long way. She was having playdates at other peoples homes, staying overnight at Grandma's, riding her bike to the park without me walking next to her.. and so on.
On August 19, the school posted the kids teachers and then the next day, we got to go meet them. Emma was put in a class with a male teacher and not one name on the class list was familiar. I think she was trying to be strong and told me it was okay. I wanted so badly to go have her moved to another class so that she wouldn't dread the first day. But, I was tough and I left her with the hopes that everything would go well. Now that it's Friday.. I can admit that things happen for a reason, but it has been the worst first week of school ever! Tuesday she called me and said her eyes were bothering her. I went down to the school only to find her in hysterics in the front office. We did later find out that she had Pink Eye and got her on an antibiotic, however, this was only the beginning of things. Wednesday came and by 10a.m. she called again. Bawling.. couldn't even catch her breath. So, I went down to the school again. This time completely prepared to NOT check her out. The last thing I wanted her to think is that I would come to her rescue every day and just take her home. So, we sat in the front office.. we sat in the School Counselors office, we sat in the sick room.. and finally.. we sat in the Principals office. We ended up filling out a request to move her to another class. I was out of ideas at this point. One of the 2nd grade teachers is Sister Wright (who happens to be our Primary President). So, we moved her to Sister/Mrs. Wrights class. All I could do is hope and pray that this was the solution. . as I sat with the principal regretting the fact that summer came to an end without me getting her in to see a dr. I felt like such a loser mom. Great way to start out the year at a new school.. in the principals office.
So, Thursday came and everything was going to be awesome! Emma was excited to go to school.. until we walked in the classroom and the one little girl from our ward that she knew was in the class.. wasn't there! So, the crying starts. The school counselor and Mrs. Wright had to literally pull her off of me just enough for me to escape out the door. Talk about tear your heart out. I don't think Emma understands how hard it is for me, too. I don't exactly enjoy running from her as she is crying out for me. So, after I left the school, I decided to go wander Costco. I thought maybe if she called and I wasn't just down the road from her, it would make it a little harder for me to just run and relieve her. And, at 11 am, I got a phone call. I was at Costco.. the phone rings and my heart sinks as soon as I see "Gerald Wright Elementary calling" on my phone. When I answered it, she was crying so hard she could hardly talk. I could here the counselor in the background telling her to say she loves me and hang up. She kept trying to get it out, but could hardly breath. Wow.. and I was supposed to just hang up the phone and trust that she would get through the rest of the day? Yes. And, I did. And, 3:45pm came around and she came walking out to get her bike with all the other kids.. smiling.. like nothing ever happened. She was fine. She was happy!
So here we are .. it's Friday and she just left with Josh on her bike. I haven't heard anything yet.. and we only have to make it till 1:30.
What a week! And to top things off, Jer was out of town all week for work, we've been fighting with getting Josh transferred to his new soccer team before the season starts (what a headache), last night was the Pinewood Derby (so we had to put together a car without dad :), and Erin had her preschool orientation. Anything else? Please no. So, wish me luck on next week. Keep me in your prayers! Okay.. maybe not me.. Emma.
p.s. Did you assume that Josh had a great first week? Okay, good. He did. It's almost frustrating how well his week went. . seems so unfair. He has like 4,000 friends and a million plans for after school with them every day.
10 comments:
Okay so I really got choked up reading that for Emma and for you. I would have cried. Logan said she sits by him and that he thinks she is really nice. That is a big compliment coming from him since she is "a girl". I am glad she got through it and you too.
Aimee,
I'm already emotional thinking about my little man starting kindergarten in a few days, so your post put me over the top!
Emma has a fabulous family with lots of love and support. With solid roots in place, everything else will work out. Adjustments take time. :)
Man, what a rough week! Almost made me cry!! Sounds like she just needed to get into the right situation with someone she knows, but those first few days must have been torture :( It's hard to try to push the shy child out the door and say "you'll be okay" when deep down you're just HOPING they'll be okay. Glad it's getting better. Also, thanks for the comment on my blog, and yes you better call me! I missed those summer days at the Magna pool. We went to the rec center pool out here but our last trip was a huge fiasco w/ cops and everything. I'll save that fun story for another day. As for your prior post, tell your dad happy b-day. I can't believe he's 60. And your mom and dad look exactly the same as they always have. That's good though - means they aren't aging! Good to see you Bringhursts, even if it is just a blog pic!
Oh sorry to hear about your crazy week. We have had a few of those. Sydney struggles with any sort of change she always has. When she was in 1st grade she was so scared and unsure. She would call me to come get her all the time. I would go over to her and could usually get her to go to class. It was hard because the class was very large and the teacher she had had never taught before and she was very young so she would just let Syd call me. One day I went over and she would not go to class. She would not budge. I knew nothing was wrong with her, but she would not go. I tried to make her and she just screamed. I was so frustrated. So I left her there sitting on the couch in the school office and told her I was not coming back even if she called and she could sit there or go to class I did not care, but I was not coming back to get her. I felt awful. I wanted to make things better for her, but I also knew she needed to be stronger. Things did get a little better after that. Once we moved to Rigby it started again. She tends to get tummy aches each time she is nervous or scared. I used to baby her and not make her do it, but I have decided at some point she needs to be strong. It is so hard because she is my youngest and my others are not like this. Evertime something changes she gets like this. We just work thru it and I encourage her to be strong. I am sorry you have to go through this it is as hard for the mom as it is for the child. I know it is worse while dad is away. That might have been part of it and maybe it will get better next week if she knows he is home. Enough of my rambling. Good luck.
Stacy
Sorry to hear about your rough week. Alexia called home on the second day of school, complaining of a stomach ache, but I think it was just her nerves.
Ashley is usually the one calling home with a "stomach ache," but so far so good (even with Ms. Short).
Holy wow, Batman...did you ever hit a nerve! Look at all the commens and as you should know this is exactly the way it was with Lyns
Oops...spelled "comments" wrong
Sorry Emma got some of my genes! I hope I don't get any "little Lynsee's" that I'll get to deal with! I already think I will have a hard time sending kids to school. After all, I'm the one with seperation anxiety in this case!! I hope next week get's better. She did tell me at our sleep ova that school is much better now. I'm already emotional so no more blogs like this one!!
Whew! What a week. I'm glad that one's over for all of you! Isn't it painful to send our sweet little ones out into the big (often mean) world?
You started telling me about Emma's bad first week, but I think we decided to stop impeding traffice so I didn't hear all of it. I am so sorry Emma had such a rough first week. I hope it gets better. Hopefully she was just having a hard time going back after having such an awesome summer. I wouldn't be thrilled going back to school either. Maybe it's just that she's too smart and knows that summer break is better than school.
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