On Another Note...

It's been a long time again. You can't imagine the whirlwind of events in our lives. Coming, going, playing, playing, playing!!! Sorry for the lack of updates!

The Knight's are doing fine! The girls are growing tall and loving life! Logan is quickly becoming quite the 'class clown' and Leah is becoming quite the verbal little girl! (Thanks to all of the intensive therapy from Miss Kate!!!)

I'm blogging a short little snippet today as there's something that's been bothering me for some time and it came to heads today! As you all know...there is a politically correct way to state everything...from the way you address strangers, to the way you order your food! But also the way you address my daughter! I can't tell you how many people address Leah as "the Autistic Child" or the "Autistic Girl". Sorry folks, this is Leah, she's a child with Autism. You see it's "people first" language. It makes a big difference in a mother's eyes. Autism doesn't define Leah...Leah defines Leah...Autism is just part of her life.

Flitter, Flutter, Butterfly

We had two of the most beautiful butterflies in all of the land...naturally! Halloween 2008 was a success from beginning to end!!!

It all started for the Knight Family with the Pontius Family Oktoberfest last weekend! It was a big family dinner followed by a pre-Trick-or-Treating event! The girls and their cousins got dressed and went from family member to family member indoors to get a treat, card or something special...all while fluttering as butterflies!!!! That was a great day as we got to be with four generations of family!!!!

Halloween continued for the Knight family at Prime Time Preschool with a Halloween Party! What an event! The butterflies flitted into school with wings a-flapping and antennas a-bouncing! They all sang mommies and daddies songs, made us "witch's brew" and showed us all around their school and introduced us to many of their new friends! They were all so proud!!!! Leah and Logan showed us all of the hand motions of each of the songs and sang along with each of the spooky-ookey melodies!!!

Finally Halloween wrapped up as the butterflies dressed for a third and final evening out on October 31st!!!! What beautiful weather we had for our first ever door-to-door trick-or-treating experiences! We had Mema, Papa, Great Grandma and Grandpa over to pass out treats at our door while some of our best friends from the Mason area came over with their boys for the festivities and the candy haul!!! We were thrilled with the girls' response to going door-to-door...especially Leah! Shy...timid...scared...HRUMPH!!!! Not our girls! When the mighty Tootsie Pop or M & M lies at the end of that driveway or near that porch light...watch out! There's no stopping Leah or Logan! MOVE OUT!

Nevertheless, you can tell that Halloween 2008 was not only a success in our eyes and hearts but also in Leah and Logan's! So for Halloween 2008, that's all. In Leah's words, "Bye Bye Pumpkin, See You Later!"

Sarama Princess

Last weekend we experienced true Michigan fall weather...cooler, cloudier, and a bit damp! But that didn't prevent the Knight family from taking an adventure to see their one and only Sarama transform into a beautiful PRINCESS!

As you all know, Leah and Logan, turn in to princesses the minute the step in the door at our house. Shoes off in the cubby, pants are whipped down, shirts are winged across the room all to make the body prepared for the coveted PRINCESS DRESS! Well, we donned some warm and fancy princess dresses last weekend on one of those dreary fall days to go see the real-life version of a princess...our very own Sarama (their cousin Cassondra). It was homecoming and it was her first one!

Sarama must have been the belle of the ball! She was simply gorgeous! She opened the door of the truck to greet the girls in the driveway while already dressed for the dance and the girls didn't recognize her at first. Then Logan said, "Princess!!!!" Shoes...$40...Dress...$150...Nails...$30...Little Girl Comment...PRICELESS!

We feel blessed to have this 'princess' in our lives and for our daughters to have such a special someone in their lives too! We love our Princess Sarama!!!

It's Over

Well, the official battle with the school is over. We sat in our second mediation session for a little over 5 hours today and we signed off on a letter of agreement. Do we think it's great? No. Will it be perfect? No. Will Leah benefit from it? With the combination of what we are having to provide because they will not, Yes!

We "gave up" a lot today. One thing was that Leah will not have is the one-on-one support for ABA like we believe she needs in this classroom. They will be providing a transition period with this support for 2-3 weeks only. Then let Leah 'go'. As for Riley, he will be able to go to school with Leah, but will be assessed on a biweekly basis for the first month to see if he actually helps Leah. If not, out he goes too. Then for private preschool, they didn't believe that Leah needed that. So, we'll be providing that to our daughter, with the ABA support, which we know that she benefits from and needs. Nevertheless, we will not be going to a hearing and Leah will be starting 'school' once again. I am happy about that! I am simply hopeful and full of prayer that by 'settling' that I didn't compromise Leah's education. To feel that you put your child in possible jeopardy is a horrible feeling. I simply wish others wanted the same for our daughter as we did!

I will thank all of you who supported us through this time. It's been a rough few months: hours upon hours researching, sitting at the computer, phone calls, emails and fighting for Leah's future. All to come out with this! Not much! Now we just need more prayers that she'll make gains upon gains with the support she's given!!!

Ducks, Squirrels, and Slime...Oh My!

It's been a busy, busy start to fall in our house, I tell ya! Shoo-Wee! People ask, "Have you updated the Blog lately?" I regularly answer, "Probably tomorrow!" Sorry to those people who got that answer! Well, more than two weeks later, here we are with a post!!!

Like I said, life has been go-go-go! The girls are IN LOVE with preschool! Logan states that the best part of preschool is singing...they sing a song each day in large group and Leah doesn't verbalize what she likes best but she sure does enjoy the routine of going, singing, reading, playing, eating, playing, playing and playing some more! A great story: Leah was asked to be in a "play" where she was a violet. She stood on a stage, shrunk down to her knees, the teacher tapped her shoulder and she stood up and "bloomed"!!! Now that's progress! She did that in front of all of her peers and teachers! Imagine that...a child with autism in a play! Yeah!!!! Logan has a very special friend, in addition to Leah. So the three of them are off in a trio each and every day. So it's like the three musketeers at Prime Time Preschool...ahem...the Four, Riley's there!!!

This past weekend, we savored the last of the warm weather and went to MSU to feed the ducks in the Red Cedar River and have a donut picnic...that's what Leah is eating in the pic below. The girls threw an entire loaf of white bread at the ducks! Talk about bloat! We only witnessed 2 to 3 minor scuffles fighting over the pieces of dough! Logan was able to calm the fowl!!!

After the gluten fest, we went for a long walk through campus and went on a squirrel run..."Squirrel, oh squirrel!!!" Oh my, did we find the squirrels...and what did the girls do??? Nothing else but...chase them of course! Some were fast...some were faster...not even a near catch! But the adventure was a good one! We found acorns...we rolled acorns...we stomped on acorns...we peeled acorns...we fed the acorns to the froggies...in the drain. (Again, there were no froggies...just a drain!) Do you see the fun we have...all good old fashioned fun!!!

And then you see in the title of this Blog Post..."Slime"...and you're wondering...Hmmm, what's that for? Did the girls fall into the water? Did they make slime on a cold fall evening? Did Kristin try to cook again? No, no, no!!! We are continuing to deal with Clinton County for special education services for Leah! We are dealing with slimy administrators! For those of you who are following our plight for services that are "appropriate" for Leah (or care), we had a mediation session with the 'big wigs' of Clinton County Special Ed. They refuse to believe that Leah needs ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) support in the special education classroom - which we have proof that we know that works because we employ the use of it in our home and in the private preschool. They refuse to believe that Leah's Private Preschool placement with Logan and with her ABA paraeducator (aide) is an appropriate placement for her. They would like 30 minutes per day of free choice time in another preschool without support and without her twins model. Funny thing is, we had all of the recommendations and all of the documentation that THIS STUFF WORKS and LEAH IS THRIVING WITH ABA AND PRESCHOOL...the administrators didn't look at it or wouldn't believe it! Additionally, they are trying, we believe, to deny Riley's access to school with Leah. They'd better be ready for a fight. Because this is one mom that is way to passionate about her child to put up with this! Leah has made way too much progress to put up with their penny pinching and/or worry of "If the Knight Family got it for their daughter, then we want if for our child" attitude!!! So, not gonna fly with me!!! Okay, vent done...but now you know!!!

We hope you are keeping warm as this is one of those cool fall days! Enjoy the adventures of fall and family!!!