Recently, we made the decision to enroll Camryn in a private Christian school. It was difficult for us to imagine her thriving in the middle school environment where three elementary schools merge into one and where she would be taught by four teachers.
In her new school, she will have a total of nine students in her class and one teacher. We have also decided to enroll her in fourth grade at the new school. She will be repeating fourth, but we felt that this was the best decision based on her maturity level (social, physical, and academic). Besides, it will be a whole new curriculum, so it's not like she'll be re-learning all the same material.
There is a strict dress code at BCA, one in which Camryn will have to grow accustomed to. Camryn is very creative and trendy with her clothing. It's part of who she is. Plus, she's all about comfort. This goes along with Sensory Processing Disorder where any kind of tight or fitting clothing, itchy tags, etc. are problemsome. Socks are a problem as the seam always bothers her. (I'm gonna search for some seamless socks for her). But, for me, these new clothes are a mother's dream! Khaki skorts, polo shirts, plaid jumpers, and preppy shoes! I love it!!!
Please continue to pray for Camryn as she begins a new chapter in her life!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Currently off the Paxil
Camryn is now off Paxil. I decided to see what would happen if she stopped taking it. So right around the beginning of our Christmas break, I stopped giving it to her. Other than some non-S.M. anxiousness, she hasn't been any less talkative with her friends. I've noticed some general anxiety, such as her being a little more cautious than usual (she's overly conscious already). This is what it might look like: We're in a parking lot, and a car heads towards us. Camryn might pull on me to quickly get out of the way even when I'm very full aware that a car is coming towards us. Or, she worries that something close to the edge of a table might fall off. Stuff like that, which I can totally live with vs. her not having any kind of social life outside of her own home. I will probably request that she begin on it again around the beginning of August since she will be starting Middle School next year (new building, new teachers, more teachers, more transitions, new students, etc.). I'll keep you posted. Thanks again for caring about Camryn!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
2008 Reflections
Camryn had a great Christmas. She must've been on Santa's "very nice" list! She's progressed so much over 2008. Except for talking to teachers, she's totally herself at school. She just seems to have a mind-block against talking to teachers. The odd thing, though, is that she will talk sometimes to substitute teachers... crazy! I think it must have something to do with her perceived expectation to talk to her teachers (from them and me, too, I'm sure). As we've been off for Christmas vacation, it seems that every store we go to, the cashier will ask her if she had a good Christmas. Mostly, she will do nothing, so of course, I answer for her. But, sometimes if I prompt her, she will slightly nod her head yes. Still a big step for her. Around family from both sides, she was pretty comfortable with everyone hearing her voice. Around my brother and his family (two of which are children), she talked freely. Of course, she's still never directly talked to my brother, but freely lets him hear her voice. Around Gary's mom's family, again there were children there, so she was freely talking. However, again, she wouldn't talk directly to an adult other than MiMi or Opa. She would communicate non-verbally to most people, though. With Gary's dad, however, there were no children there, so she stayed pretty quiet. So... just a little reflection/update for you. Thanks for loving and caring for Camryn. Hope you have a blessed new year!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Update
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I guess there really hasn't been much to write about. Camryn has been talking to all her friends and most classmates since the beginning of the school year, but she has yet to talk to her teachers. She has talked on occasion to her P.E. teacher, however. Her grades are not what they should be. It seems like everytime we get her S.M. under control, she becomes more social (the idea) but her grades fall. Please continue to pray for her.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Summer is Coming to an End
I haven't updated Camryn's blog much this summer. Her S.M. stays pretty well hidden over the summer with the absence of the school environment. She's had lots of playdates (not enough, though in her opinion). We are looking forward to her fourth grade year.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Camryn's Kittens
Our kittens are five weeks old, but if cats do indeed have nine lives, I'm pretty sure they've used up at least half of them... several long stories that I don't have the time and/or energy to go into here, but anyway, here are some pictures of them Camryn and I took a couple of days ago when Camryn decided to play "dress-up" with them. Notice that the one wearing Barbie's nightgown is the boy. The girl wasn't as into it!
Update
It's been over a month since I last updated this blog. Forgive me... I've been busy with end of the school year stuff, but now, school's out for the summer!!!
Camryn has had many, many successes over the past month. I'll do my best to try to remember as many as I can.
* Although we didn't get to go to her school awards program, (too much going on that we didn't realize when it was), Camryn was able to walk onto the stage to accept her awards. They sent a picture home with her, though. She definitely had on her "S.M. face," but the most important thing is that she did it!
* I had to work last Monday and Tuesday finishing up the school year, so my mom took Camryn to VBS those first two days. There wasn't an opportunity, as a result, for me to go in, give her teachers one of my little SM cards explaining why Camryn may not talk, which has been my standard procedure for the last several years. But when I took Camryn in on that Wednesday morning, she went right in and sat with her group. The next morning, I figured out that I could use the car rider line to drop her off. I had asked her if she had talked to any of her teachers. She said no, but that she had talked to the person handing out name tags since she had to tell them her name. So, I drove through the car rider line, she got out immediately (no hesitation), and walked up to the name tag table. She must've told the lady her name because she immediately started looking for the appropriate name tag.
* She participated in her VBS program last Thursday night. She was placed front row/center on the stage. I wasn't sure how that was going to work. Last summer, I would've had to tell them to move her to a different spot. Anyway, she didn't sing, but she did most of the movements. That is, until she spotted me watching her. Then she would stop and give me this really mean-looking stare, so then I would have to purposefully look at someone else performing until she looked away. When she caught me looking at her again, we'd go through the same scenario. For the time that she was sitting on the stage watching the rest of the program, she continued to motion to me that she was cold. She must've done this about 10 times. Of course, there was nothing I could do about it, but I was amazed that she would communicate with me in front of such a large crowd, even if it was non-verbal.
* She has been talking to more of her friends. There is a little girl in her Sunday School class that she knew from Kool After School that she invited to sit with us during church yesterday. Before this, there was only one little girl at church she would talk to.
* Last Saturday morning, I loaded up my truck with garage sale stuff to take to my parents' garage. I had already told Camryn that I would need her to go into the house (they weren't there), go down the stairs to the garage, and click the button to open the garage door. While this type of action is not related to her SM, it is very much related to her overall anxiety. I really didn't think she would do it... walking into a dark house, going down a set of dark stairs, and opening a door to a dark garage... but she amazed me and did it, without any hesitation!
So, I think this will give you a good picture of Camryn's recent progress. We are extremly blessed with all she has accomplished since beginning her medication at the end of March. I'm still not naive enough to think that her SM is "cured." Not talking is only a symptom of her overall anxiety, and we continue to see her struggles with anxiousness in other areas of her life.
So, please do me a favor... STOP for just a moment and thank God for anwering our prayers about Camryn talking in school and please pray that He would continue to loosen the chains that bind Camryn in the form of anxiety. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Camryn has had many, many successes over the past month. I'll do my best to try to remember as many as I can.
* Although we didn't get to go to her school awards program, (too much going on that we didn't realize when it was), Camryn was able to walk onto the stage to accept her awards. They sent a picture home with her, though. She definitely had on her "S.M. face," but the most important thing is that she did it!
* I had to work last Monday and Tuesday finishing up the school year, so my mom took Camryn to VBS those first two days. There wasn't an opportunity, as a result, for me to go in, give her teachers one of my little SM cards explaining why Camryn may not talk, which has been my standard procedure for the last several years. But when I took Camryn in on that Wednesday morning, she went right in and sat with her group. The next morning, I figured out that I could use the car rider line to drop her off. I had asked her if she had talked to any of her teachers. She said no, but that she had talked to the person handing out name tags since she had to tell them her name. So, I drove through the car rider line, she got out immediately (no hesitation), and walked up to the name tag table. She must've told the lady her name because she immediately started looking for the appropriate name tag.
* She participated in her VBS program last Thursday night. She was placed front row/center on the stage. I wasn't sure how that was going to work. Last summer, I would've had to tell them to move her to a different spot. Anyway, she didn't sing, but she did most of the movements. That is, until she spotted me watching her. Then she would stop and give me this really mean-looking stare, so then I would have to purposefully look at someone else performing until she looked away. When she caught me looking at her again, we'd go through the same scenario. For the time that she was sitting on the stage watching the rest of the program, she continued to motion to me that she was cold. She must've done this about 10 times. Of course, there was nothing I could do about it, but I was amazed that she would communicate with me in front of such a large crowd, even if it was non-verbal.
* She has been talking to more of her friends. There is a little girl in her Sunday School class that she knew from Kool After School that she invited to sit with us during church yesterday. Before this, there was only one little girl at church she would talk to.
* Last Saturday morning, I loaded up my truck with garage sale stuff to take to my parents' garage. I had already told Camryn that I would need her to go into the house (they weren't there), go down the stairs to the garage, and click the button to open the garage door. While this type of action is not related to her SM, it is very much related to her overall anxiety. I really didn't think she would do it... walking into a dark house, going down a set of dark stairs, and opening a door to a dark garage... but she amazed me and did it, without any hesitation!
So, I think this will give you a good picture of Camryn's recent progress. We are extremly blessed with all she has accomplished since beginning her medication at the end of March. I'm still not naive enough to think that her SM is "cured." Not talking is only a symptom of her overall anxiety, and we continue to see her struggles with anxiousness in other areas of her life.
So, please do me a favor... STOP for just a moment and thank God for anwering our prayers about Camryn talking in school and please pray that He would continue to loosen the chains that bind Camryn in the form of anxiety. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
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