The Highs and Lows of 2011

I’ve decided to end out the 2011 blogging season with a compilation of the highs and lows of 2011.  These appear in no real significant order, except that this is the order in which they popped into my head.

High:  We are all, despite this cold that we’ve all had since sometime in October, in relatively good health.  No trips to the ER this year.  No one has swallowed anything they shouldn’t have.  And while John has had some discomfort due to the MS, he hasn’t had any major setbacks. 

Low:  While Anna had made a little improvement with her eyesight, the end of the year finds us, not at square one, but with no improvement since September.  The doctor says that she can have surgery to straighten out the right eye, but that unless she starts to use it, she will lose sight in it.  He wants us to start patching the “good” eye again.  I haven’t leapt into action with that one just yet simply because I know how it’s going to turn out.  I have asked her teacher to help us out because Anna loves Miss Diane and does everything that woman asks.

High:  Anna.  She is a completely different child from this time in 2010.  She really is.  I cannot believe it.  The behavior is much better.  Her attitude is much better.  She really is doing so well.  Miss Diane has given me hope that Anna will be able to go to kindergarten next year with little problem.  We’re holding off deciding whether that will be in a completely mainstreamed or in an inclusion classroom, but it WILL NOT be in a substantially separate classroom.  Yippeeeee!

High:  Family time.  We’ve had a lot of time this year to be just us—the four of us.  That has been pretty amazing actually.  The best thing about our trip to Disney was not necessarily the Disney part, so much as the US part.  Our time on the Cape, our time in Disney, our time around Christmas = Perfect.

High:  The kids’ teachers have definitely been high points.  Both last school year and this school year have provided my children with some amazing teachers and support staff.  I couldn’t have asked for better.  I think the people who make educational policy and put more and more of the blame on teachers for students not meeting ridiculous achievement goals should come see what these women do.  If they could just watch these women in action, they would know that even the most miraculous of teachers cannot fill the education gap (first, actually, they need someone to explain to them about the concept…).  I cannot thank these women enough for what they do for my children.

Low:  Jack got jumped in the bathroom last month.  Seriously.  First grade.  I guess the kid who jumped him has some issues, but it was probably one of my most frightened moments as a parent.  It upset John as much as it upset me, and it upset Jack a lot.

Low:  Work.  I can’t go into it.  I really can’t in this forum, but those of you who work with me know my frustration.

High:  The people I work with.  During this most recent work drama, I was given the support of pretty much everyone in the building.  People went out of their ways to find me out and give me support.  While things went exactly the way I thought they would have gone, I got a huge boost in my self-esteem.  It felt good to be me.  I felt validated on so many levels.  It’s almost worth doing this thing again, just for the way my co-workers made me feel appreciated.  Thank you, all.

High:  How cool is Netflix on PS3?

High:  How cool is the Nook Color?

High:  How cool is the iPhone 4s?  (Am I spoiled or what?)

High:  I did an absolutely amazingly friend thing this fall.  While I hated all of the things that led up to my doing this, I am happy that I did it.  One of my ultimate lows this year was when my friend Brian passed away.  After he had died, someone stole one of his most prized possessions.  I had that replaced for his parents, our friends, Judy and Darryl.

Low:  Brian died.  Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him and miss him.  Not a day goes by when I don’t get at least teary-eyed over his passing.  The potential that was lost is devastating.  I still can’t believe it.

High:  Pomegranate martinis. 

That’s really all my brain can come up with right now.  Perhaps, with the three days left of my vacation, I’ll come up with some kind of thought provoking, year-end blogging extravaganza.

In the meantime…Happy New Year!!