Monday, June 24, 2013

what we've been up to...

It feels like a lot has been going on around here lately, but perhaps once I write it down it won't sound that way to anyone else. Funny how that can be. Anyway, since I last posted:

*Annie got a new friend. Meet Sully:


He's an 8-year-old chinchilla. He is so stinkin' adorable I can hardly stand it. Seriously, this picture does not even come close to doing his cuteness justice. Oh my gosh, and is he soft. And funny. And busy. And poopy (but at least, it's of the easy to deal with hard little pellet variety...'cause I'm sure you were wondering).

*Gray got a new "diagnosis." Meet Asperger's syndrome. Yeah, there's really nothing new to meet here. Honestly, all this new information does is group together some of his other diagnoses (sensory integration disorder, selective mutism, social anxiety) and some of his awesome quirks and some of his exercise-in-patience quirks under one overall heading. Gray's still Gray. And always will be. Lucky for us! But having this information is allowing us to understand a bit better how he views the world.

*Schooooooool's out for summer. WOOHOO!!! Annie finished up completely on the 18th, Max on the 19th, and Gray on the 21st. And I sent Annie's and Gray's final reports for the school year. Phew. (Of course, I'm now in full swing planning for the next school year...)

On a somewhat shocking-to-me note, when Max stepped off the bus on his last day of school, it dawned on me that for the first time since August of 2002 when Annie started kindergarten, we are no longer parents of a kiddo in elementary school. How the hell did this happen...

*Annie got her SAT scores. I know she's disappointed in her math score, and I feel her pain...but at the same time I think she should just be happy with how well she did overall. She got 2190, a composite score which puts her in the 98th percentile. But I guess she can't stop seeing that if she'd just done slightly better on the math and got a composite score of 2200 instead, she'd have been in the 99th percentile. Oh perfectionism, you suck! I think her little perfectionistic side should just focus on the 800 she did get on the critical reading section. :) Anyway, more than anything, I think she's just damn glad it's over. And who can blame her, right?

*****
I am still in semi-online-avoidance mode. I hope to give myself one more week of solid, bury myself in school planning mode before I loosen up for summer. But I must admit my resistance is weakening...

8 comments:

DesLily said...

wow.. so now you get maybe one month off before beginning stuff for next school year huh? that sure doesn't sound long enough to me!
I had a friend who had a pet Chinchilla.. they are fun and gorgeous to pet. I hope she enjoys her new "friend" :o)

Amanda said...

Okay, Sully is ADORABLE. I've never seen a chinchilla before!

When you first said Annie's SAT scores, I had to try to remember what the new scoring was like. It was still max 1600 points when I took it! I haven't gotten my head around the new system.

Jean said...

Love the chinchilla, but it wouldn't last long here with two predatory cats and on predatory dog.

Does Annie plan to retake the SAT? Many schools will take your highest score on each section even if those highs come from different administrations of the test.

I hope you can knock the school planning off and get on to enjoying your summer. Do try!

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

Oh hi Sully!! He is a cutie! I know it doesn't make it easier, but it sounds like Gray's diagnosis might offer a little closure--I know you'll all be glad to understand his world better. And way to go Annie! Like Amanda I'm still stuck on the 1600 score range but 98th percentile makes you one proud mama I suspect. ;)

Ali said...

Yay, you're back (kind of)!

Congrats to Annie, 98th percentile is fabulous! And her new pet, so sweet. A friend of mine had a chinchilla given to her classroom (she was a teacher) and totally, unexpectedly fell in love with him.

I'm glad you're filling in more pieces to the puzzle that is your sweet boy. I like your attitude about the labels and not letting them define him (or you as a parent). Like anything in parenting, the label can be a tool, but it's not the rule. (Oh my gosh, I made a rhyme, I should totally copyright that).

Vasilly said...

Congratulations to Annie! 98th percentile is fantastic! My kids are behind me but I'm not going to let them see the picture of your new pet. They'll ask for one and so far they want a rat and a rabbit. :-)I hope you enjoyed your week away from the online world.

Care said...

Yes, Sully is a cutie. (PSSST - I am starting my 'what I did on summer vacation' posts...)

Eva said...

OMG Debi I'm so behind w your blog! Which means I get lots to catch up on.

Yay Annie!!! I took the old SAT when it was max of 1600, but I understand the perfectionism frustration. You know, my perfectionism has mellowed dramatically since I was in high school: hopefully hers will too. I knew a girl in college w a chinchilla: they're crazy soft! Can't wait to meet him one of these days!!! :D

I'm so glad that the new diagnosis is helpful for you guys & Gray. I know a lot of people resist labels, but in my case it was such a relief to know I wasn't just imagining things/being high maintenance/etc. Gray's so neat & I'm so glad I got to know him better on my last visit! I hope he enjoyed the Finlay books. Minecraft reminds me so much of that Pyramid game I played when I was his age. Except I'm sure Minecraft is cooler. ;)

And congrats to Max for finishing elementary school!!! I bet he's enjoying summer!