LEGOS

LEGOS... Enough said, right?

Tyler's First Concert

So, I took Tyler to his first concert last night and can you guess who we went to go see... BarlowGirl!

I don't know if that would be a weird first concert for an 8-year old boy but he absolutely loved it. He was rocking out! And I completely enjoyed it. The band is not only singing great songs but the speak the truth of the Lord. Their concerts are not just concerts... they are live testimonies of their relationship with God. They play songs they wrote, they play worship songs, they share about ministries that they are supporting, they read scriptures, they have an altar call those that want to give their lives to Christ and those that need prayer. I think that Tyler did not listen to the words to the songs too much since he was so busy being the air-guitarist for the band but he did recognize some songs he heard on the radio and he did sing along with the worship songs he knew. Overall, I think it was a great experience. Below are a couple of pictures of us at the concert and a video of Tyler rockin' out on the air guitar. I apologize as the video is kind of dark.

Our next concert is supposed be tonight in Irvine. We are suppsed to see Third Day, Jars of Clay, and Switchfoot. It all depends on his behavior and how much homework Tyler has. So, we shall see.... But an overall great first concert experience. Yay!!

I.E.P.

Individual Education Plan... otherwise known as an I.E.P. This morning we had an I.E.P. meeting for Tyler. The purpose was to set up a solid foundation for Tyler and to set appropriate goals for him to reach academically and socially. While I was not really looking forward to the meeting, it actually turned out to be a wonderful experience. Tyler's previous I.E.P. experience through the Beaumont School District did not seem to go well. They seemed to think Tyler was crazy and they appeared to have given up on him. But when we went to this meeting this morning at his school, Bryn Mawr Elementary, in the Redlands School District, it was an absolutely pleasant experience. The I.E.P. Team (which consists of us, the social workers, the principal, Tyler's teacher, and a special education counselor) is all on the same page. They are completely supportive of keeping Tyler in his Special Day Class because the structure of the classroom is exactly what Tyler needs. Everyone was compassionate and understanding of his history. Everyone seems ready to do everything necessary to help him succeed. Everyone was positive and ready to move things forward for Tyler. This meeting was an absolute blessing! Praise God!

Soccer Mom

Yup! I'm officially a soccer mom! I never really thought that would be me but I am! This past week we signed Tyler up for Upward Soccer at Immanuel Baptist Church. For those of you that don't know what Upward Soccer is, it is basically a youth soccer league with it's focus on Christ. I really think it is a great program. They do it for basketball, soccer, and cheerleading for boys & girls from Kindergarten to 5th grade. I love it. I actually helped coach the first season of Upward that they ever had at Immanuel (which, of course, was basketball) and I absolutely loved it. One of my best friends, Grace, and I coached together and we felt absolutely blessed to be a part of it. So, when Tyler said his favorite sport was soccer, we didn't want to pass it up. So, now Tyler is playing for Team Sparks, practicing every Thursday and playing a game every Saturday morning. During halftime, one of the pastors comes and does a short message for the kids. For our first game, we had Rob Signs, and he of course incorporated a magic trick with his message. And coincidentally, he chose Tyler to be his volunteer. I really love being a soccer mom! Here is some pics of Tyler for soccer:

This is Tyler just before we left for his first practice.

This is Tyler doing a goalie kick. (I guess that's what it's called. Not too sure) There are no goalies in this league, just an open net... Interesting

Very Handy

I just wanted to share this little tid-bit because it has been so handy for me. I bought these little sandwich tupperware things to put Tyler's lunch in and I just really love them. I got the idea when my friend, Heather, came over with her kids and she had put their sandwiches in there. I thought they were just great and had to get a couple for Tyler's lunches. He's been putting a PB & J sandwich in there everyday for school and it fits in lunch box just right with his drink and fruit and chips. It's little things in life that can put a smile on your face. Sorry to bore you but I thought they were cool.

First Day of School

So, the first day of school for Tyler has finally arrived. It has been long overdue for about two weeks now. For those of you that don't know, there was some serious confusion with the school district and his enrollment was put on hold. So, we all originally thought he was gonna go to school on August 13th but that got postponed until today (September 2nd). That's almost 3 weeks difference. It has been quite difficult but he finally got enrolled at Bryn Mawr Elementary School and it looks very promising. Taylor & I got to sit in the classroom to observe the teacher and students and we are very impressed. We are confident that this teacher will be able to handle Tyler's behavioral problems. So, first day of school was a big success. Here is a picture of Tyler before he left for his first day of school. He is wearing all new clothes that my good friend, Lori, was so gracious to buy for him. Thank you Lori!