This handsome stud's new job & schedule are certainly favorites this week!
This week was uniquely different for our family as we transitioned into PK'S new job (the promotion I talked about here... he was hired for the position on the spot!). Previously, his schedule included working Friday- Monday; his days off were during the week. With this promotion, he'll be working a more traditional schedule: Monday- Friday. I'm thrilled at the prospect of finally having the opportunity to participate in weekend activities with my whole family! Without PK's help, I'm not normally able to attend any special occasions that occur during the weekend. Having kids with special needs means I can't simply show up to an event without added assistance; it's not easy (or necessarily safe) for me to attempt to take them out in public without an extra hand to lend support. Disappointingly, we miss a great deal of entertaining events because they're scheduled during the weekend while PK is at work. I'm absolutely delighted that this incredibly beneficial opportunity for PK's career has been additionally favorable for our family's schedule, as well. #WinWin
PK's promotion to Manager meant I got do one of my favorite things: go shopping for my man!
Brooke's new & improved sleeping habits are favorites this week, too!
If you know my family personally, you're probably aware that Brooke's sleep schedule is one of the more difficult struggles we've faced with Brooke as a result of her Autism. Unfortunately, sleep problems are very common in children with autism; basically her little brain simply can't shut off- it's too stimulated, even at night. Sleep is such a critical component of health, and insufficient sleep significantly impacts Brooke's daytime behaviors, making her challenging behaviors even worse. When Emmy was born, Brooke's sleeping patterns began to regress & steadily worsened. A temporary solution was to allow her to sleep in our bed, but that ultimately failed, as well. My poor girl wouldn't typically fall asleep until 2 AM or later, and would be absolutely miserable when I attempted to wake her up each morning. We conclusively determined to follow the advice of a fellow autism-mom & emptied out her room entirely, leaving only her bed & blankets- no lights, no toys & nothing else to stimulate her brain. We also accepted the notion that medication could be a beneficial option & began administering Melatonin a couple of hours prior to her bedtime. I'm pleased to announce that for the past several nights, Miss Brooke has been asleep before midnight & has slept through the night in her own room. Praise the Lord!
Meeting Mason's kindergarten teacher & seeing his new classroom was a
fun favorite this week!
On Thursday evening, I had the opportunity to attend a Meet the Teacher night at Mason's new school. He'll be starting kindergarten next week, and this was an important step of the process I'd been looking forward to. Mason will be attending an Autism-centered class at his new elementary school, but he'll also have occasions each day where he'll integrate with the standard classroom. Thursday night's event was a chance for me to meet the teacher of the standard class he'll be assimilating with: Ms Hayes. It's so inspiring to meet one of the impressive ladies responsible for facilitating the thinking, engaging the mind, listening to the questions, and supporting the struggles of my little man, and ultimately cultivating the dreams I have for him as he enters the exciting world of kindergarten! But as I admired his name-tag on the table, I realized that while this is certainly a sign of a significant beginning for my sweet, handsome man, it's also a graduation of sorts for me! I survived. Being Mason's mom was so full of unexpected challenges & victories, but I'm so proud of the journey that we've walked through together during the last 5 years. I've watched as my heart grew outside of my body, and now I'm preparing myself to leave my little prince in this new environment, and I'm ready to watch him thrive!
To end this Friday's blog post on a silly, happy note: Miss Emmy Kate's favorite activity at the dinner table is to dip her food! And if what she's dipping into happens to be some yummy queso? All the better! I took this photo while we were out to dinner (celebrating PK's new promotion), and when I subsequently found this meme on Erika's blog, I immediately knew it would go along perfectly with our silly, queso-loving, chip-dipper! The Moellman family supremely enjoys our Mexican food!
Thanks for reading along, friends! Have a lovely weekend & "may your Friday sparkle!"
Congratulations to your husband on his new job! Glad that will make life easier for you & your sweet family :)
ReplyDeleteKelsey
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