They, of course, hate this! However, they do love getting good report cards. So, it is worth all the belly aching I hear when I return from a garage sale with yet another Lakeshore Learning game. I know that they won't understand why I buy them all of these type games until they are older and make fun of me for it one day. I hope that one day they will return to my kitchen with grandkids and happy lives and say "Thanks Mom for all the learning games." THEN, I can go in peace.
Putting the boys in kindergarten was not an easy decision for this mama bear.
They were "young fives" and it just seemed impossible for them to cross the threshold from preschool to kindergarten. When they started kindergarten, they were still only four! I remember worrying that they were too little to climb on the first step of the bus!
But it was the right decision in the long run because now the boys are thriving. All A's! They are kind to their friends and they try. The trying is all I ever care about. I am not one to tolerate lazy. I have always expected a lot from myself and hope to instill this in them as well.
A major decision a twin mom has is to decide each year whether to separate them or keep them together. My principal allows us to "have a preference, although it may not be accommodated". My practice is to simply ask the boys what they want to do.
Kindergarten they were together. First grade was separate (Yeah, that stunk!!! Click here to see the Mother's Day party, ugh!). Second grade, they wanted to be back together. It has been awesome because the homework and the parties are much easier to manage. Splitting yourself in two for two parties in two classrooms is impossible.
When they were in separate classrooms last year Zeke definitely got short changed because of Rocco’s diabetes. During the school parties, I obsessively watched Rocco choose and eat the party food, careful to count each carb as it entered his mouth. Counting wrong could cause him to run low and possibly pass out in front of his classmates. No one wants that. So Zeke had to patiently wait in his classroom while I counted carbs in Rocco's. I was sad for Zeke every time we had one of those parties. So, to have them together this year is wonderful. I can play with Zeke and count for Rocco just like I do every day at home!
At the conference, the teacher told me something I didn't know. She said Zeke looks out for Rocco and his diabetes. She said she has noticed that if Rocco is high or low, Zeke keeps looking at him until he is satisfied that Rocco is feeling better. Also, she said one time, Rocco was taking a little longer to get checked than usual. She said Zeke stood up (which is a no-no in her wonderfully controlled classroom) and peeked over to where Rocco was being checked to see what was going on. He just had to see if his twin was OK. So cute!
Most days, Zeke seems almost unaware of Rocco's diabetes, but these examples from school indicate that this is not the case. It is just a part of our lives that he tends to glaze over. The other day he asked me, "Hey mom, what does insulin do anyway?" I laughed! "It lowers blood sugar", I said, trying to keep it simple. Then he said, "Huh! I guess I knew that!"
Click here to see a story about the first time Zeke got to take care of Rocco! Since then, when the boys are outside playing, he makes it his personal responsibility to carry glucose tablets for Rocco in case he gets low.
Zeke is also the kid who one night started yelling out blood sugars in his sleep. "If Rocco is 278, he's high. If Rocco is 54, he's low." He rattled off eight or ten blood sugar levels and got the high or low of them all right. He was only 3 1/2 at the time! So, I know that as much as he seems like he is unaware, he is hearing and feeling the life of a person with diabetes.
So, for the teacher to tell me that Zeke has an eye on Rocco throughout the day makes me fall in love with him all over again! It's kind of like seeing your husband playing with the kids and everyone is giggling. The loving harmony makes me happy.
When I put the boys to bed, I said to Zeke, "Thank you for being so great! You worked really hard for that report card! You should be proud of yourself!" He said, "Thank YOU for being so great! You're the one that trained us to do that."
He is truly the best!
Here is some twin eye candy!
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2 comments:
You've got some serious heartbreakers on your hands! I loved the story of Zeke saving the day. I can see my oldest son, Hendrix, doing that for Jameson in a heartbeat! Brotherly love just wamrs your heart, doesn't it? <3
Finally! A Mom who tells the truth about having a child with Type 1 diabetes. I have Type 1 diabetes although no one in my family does. Nor does anyone bother to try to understand what I can and can't eat. I wear an insulin pump and that in itself is a God send at times. I've read a lot of blogs of mom's and I'll say that "Shari, you have taken on some of the toughest challenges and you are an amazing woman to take the time to let the rest of us know the "high" and "lows" of dealing with diabetes." I applaud you and hope you win. You have an inspiring blog. Thank you for your wit, wisdom, and courage to share your story and life with the rest of us. A. Boyer, Westfield, IN
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