Adventures with Toots and Noodles

Packing II

I just realized the post I just wrote is pretty repetitive and similar to the previous one.  Well, it feels like I have done this kind of packing quite a few times before. 

Packing

I'm putting Toots'  stuff in suitcases to go with us tomorrow.  White t-shirts.  Black pants.  Warm pajamas.  New underwear.   Socks.  Her winter jacket.  Pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelopes.  Plenty of shampoo and conditioner. 

Talked to her earlier.  She sounds happy and ready to go.  Boy, I'm not sure I am. 

Did I mention today's my birthday, too?

The tough go shopping

What does a mom do when her 13-year-old daughter is going away, yet again?

Buy the things she will need, of course.

A good supply of shampoo and conditioner.  Disposable razors (yes, they are OK at WP) and shave gel.  New toothbrush and toothpaste.  Warm socks.  Warm pajamas.  Plenty of underpants.  White long sleeved t-shirts.  Gray and black sweatpants (to meet the daytime dress code) Plus her winter jacket and boots.  And her warm comforter and extra fuzzy blankets. 

We took her out this afternoon for a haircut and dinner.  It was a good time.  She is so pretty when she smiles. 

Once again, I try to pretend to myself that this is a regular boarding school. 

We drive her up on Thursday. 

P.S.

I have always made a point of thanking the CSE members, at meetings, for their help and support.  After all, they have written some pretty big checks to provide for Toots' well-being.  And I think these checks to WP are going to be the biggest of all. 

What a blessing that we live in a school district that is willing to provide so much for our child, without a peep of complaint or dissent.  Makes our very-high property taxes meaningful. 

Moving along

We had the CSE (Committee on Special Education, for the uninitiated) meeting today.  The Committee approved Toots' placement at WP.  If all continues as planned, we will be taking Toots up there next Thursday.  Here we go.  We are placing a lot of hope and trust in the people at WP.  I am greatly encouraged by the fact that they WANT to have families work with them to get their girls ready to come back home.  Unlike LF, where it became more evident over time that the attitude there was, "Leave your kid here until she/he turns 18 and they can be sent out into the world on their own."

I have to get her some more underwear and warm socks--it's going to be COLD upstate in the winter. 

Also, Toots wants to get a haircut this weekend.  I am not familiar with salons near BH.  She hasn't had a haircut in months, and as a former teenage girl I can certainly understand the impulse to want to look her best when she goes to a new place.  Nice Social Worker is going to look into salons that might be open on Sunday, for me. 

Oh, Toots, my sweet, we want to be able to have you at home without worrying that you will eat drain cleaner or jump through a window or walk down the block and hitchhike away.  We want you to grow up to be a happy and healthy girl.  That's why we adopted you.  It's OK if your way of being happy isn't exactly ours--but we do want you to be safe from harm. 

Bemused

I have been a little distracted lately.  I just found a deeply weird thing (schizophrenic rant?) that someone left as a comment, about 10 days ago.  It's gone now. 

First time I've gotten one of those. 

My daring young man

Isn't this just so cool?

What a kid!  Wheeeee!

(click on pics to enlarge 'cause I don't know how to make them bigger)

Afterthought

By the way, regardless of how awesome it was to watch Noodles fly today, as well as people my age and older, NOTHING will ever induce me to get up on that trapeze. 

Flying high

We took Noodles to a very cool place this afternoon, for his birthday.  There is a school near us that teaches people--regular, non-fairy-dusted people--to fly on the flying trapeze.  I do not have any pictures of him to share yet, but here are some samples from their website.   

Today was their last day for this season, but I am sure we will be taking him back there in the spring.  We have set a goal to take Toots there also, because she would love it.  We just don't have a target date for that. 

Things are starting to move

If all continues to go as planned, we will be taking Toots to WP on November 1st.  That date is the anniversary of the deaths of both of my grandmothers.  I like to think that they will be watching over her. 

Also, Noodles turns 10 tomorrow.  What changes he has undergone, from being the brave, little round-headed toddler who sat calmly in his car seat, driving to an unknown destination with a strange couple.  Of course, he's still very brave. Yay Noodles!