Summer

Today is the last day of school. I spent most of the morning at Alyssa's talent show. She performed a dance routine with a bunch of her friends to the song Soldier Boy. It was cute. I got so emotional sitting through that performance. It seems like just yesterday I was sending Alyssa off to her first day of school. And now we are at the end of her second school year with us! Where does the time go?

Alyssa has worked VERY hard to improve her behavior. She had specific goals that needed to be met. If she achieved her goals, she got to invite a friend along up north this weekend. Well, I am very happy and proud to announce that ALL goals have been met! Alyssa was so excited! She invited her friend and her friend said yes! Well, then the girls both got invited to a birthday party on Friday night. Alyssa's friend informed her that she wanted to go to the birthday party and wasn't going to go up north! So then Alyssa asked if we could wait to go up north until after the party. Jeff and I had a long talk about it and even though we were worried that Alyssa would have a meltdown, we decided that we have been planning this weekend for two weeks and we would go up north as planned. So we told Alyssa that she couldn't go to the party. She handled it very well! She was able to express sadness and disappointment that she would miss the party and also sadness and hurt that her friend chose the party over going up north. She did not get angry, she did not become disrespectful, she expressed honest emotion in an appropriate way! We were very proud of how she handled it. Then, about an hour later the phone rang and it was Alyssa's friend. She decided that she didn't want to go to the party if her best friend wasn't going and would it be OK if she came up north with us? Well, YEAH! Alyssa is happy once again and all is right with her world! We also took the opportunity to remind her that good things happen when good choices are made!!!

Oh, I almost forgot! I totally burst her bubble this morning! Alyssa was going on and on about this is the last day of school and I can sleep in and I can't wait to be lazy! Well, the mean Mom that I am, reminded her that even though school was out, she still had to get up at the same time because Mom & Dad still had to go to work. In fact, we would have to leave the house 15 minutes earlier than we do now because I had to drop her off at the Y. So dearest daughter, enjoy your 1 day of sleeping in and being lazy! The summer schedule starts on Monday!