Endocrinology Visit and School Tour

Yesterday, we started out by going to the elementary school and taking a tour!  Michael has told us he's "norvous" about going to school and we assure him that every boy & girl in his class will be nervous and it's a good time to make friends.

We began the tour by checking out the gym where the 4th graders were having P.E.-- archery, as it were.  The Pre-K through 2nd grade counselor, who was our tour guide, told us that kindergartners do not do archery in P.E.  Seeing the 4th graders use the bow and arrows was the highlight of Michael's trip. :)

Next, we went down the Kindergarten hall where the teachers were asked to keep their doors open so we could peek in as we walked by.  It was interesting to see a glimpse into the classrooms.  I'm not sure which of the 8 classrooms Michael will be in, but we'll get to choose his teacher based on who the nursing staff shows is most competent to handle the ins-and-outs of having a student with Type One in the classroom.

We visited the lunchroom and the group walked by the nurses office, and we actually popped in there really quick to introduce Michael to the nurses.  Not all of them were in the nurses office at that time, but at least Michael got to see where the nurses office was located.

Next stop was the music room-- with lots of Minions posters on the wall, which Michael loved!  There were all kinds of instruments set out-- bongos, egg shakers, tambourines, etc.  Michael is super pumped to learn how to use all of those instruments.

The final stop was the library where the kindergarten classes will come for story time once a week, I think.  The tour really helped Michael be more at ease at the thought of going to school this fall.  I left more nervous than I was before.  I don't hold the P.E. coaches to be of high enough standard to care for Michael's needs while in P.E. class, but I'll have to trust that they are.  And I'm hoping I'll get to meet with them before school starts.

We headed out to the car, got some gas, ran home for a snack, and headed up to Birmingham for Michael's endocrinology appointment.  We arrived around lunchtime and ate our picnic lunch in the main entrance to the hospital.

Noah, who Grandma Chips had picked up earlier in the morning from our house, was having a fun day being the only kid, and he got to go to McDonalds to get a Happy Meal!  Apparently, he talked non stop the whole day-- didn't have anyone to compete with, so it was all up to him!

Back at Children's Hospital, Michael picked out a toy for himself and a toy for Noah.  This is a highlight of the trip for him!  He chose a bucket of frogs and snacks and lizards-- very tiny little toys, but a good deal for the money.  He picked out a tank for Noah.  Aaron & I treated ourselves to a couple Children's Hospital t-shirts.

Michael's appointment went fast and very very good.  He was SO well behaved and we couldn't be happier with that!  The doctor is super impressed with our aggressive treatment of high blood sugars, and we made some more dramatic changes to further improve Michael's diabetes management.

We swung into a McDonald's drive through on our way home-- which we never do, but at this time the Happy Meal toys are Super Mario, so we wanted to reward Michael with an extra special treat.

We hit zero traffic on the way home, picked up Noah, and made it home in time to serve up some leftovers for dinner and get ready for my mom to come over to read a story to the boys before bed.


We are really hoping that our visit yesterday was the first of many visits to follow where Michael just does what's expected of him and cooperates so well.  It certainly renewed our energy as parents and we were commended by the doctor on how well we act as a team. :)

We got all of our paperwork ready for me to submit to the school here to get Michael set up with his medical rights plan for the upcoming school year.  Now, only a summer stands between us and having an official kindergartner!


Until Next Time,
Much love, Reba