We implemented some big changes this week.
Abby started school on Monday! She is attending a special-ed preschool offered through our school district. Her class meets for 2 1/2 hours, three days per week. The really nice part about this school is that they integrate communication and choice making into everything they do. She will also receive a half hour of therapy each day during class. Several months ago I took Abby in for an evaluation at the school and they came up with a plan for her and set goals that will help her on her road to recovery. The teacher and therapists now work on those goals during the class day. Pretty cool.
Unfortunately there was no way to put Abby into this preschool and still continue to take her to 6 hours of therapy each week. So we cut her therapy sessions in half and put them all on one day. She now sees all 4 of her therapists back to back, one morning each week. Some of them overlap their session times, so it comes out to be about 2 1/2 hours, just like school. I was worried that even this might be to much for her, but she seemed to do well with it this week.
Here she is on her FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
It was a rougher than rough morning and she was in a terrible mood, so this is the only picture I took - hand midway to mouth. I am so, so glad Anthony was home that morning.
I figured I would just take a picture on her SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL. But that morning wasn't much better. Here she is later that afternoon (with fabulous hair, by the way).
Finally, I got a decent picture on her THIRD DAY OF SCHOOL. It was a better morning. Too bad you can't see the design on her shirt. It's pretty cute.
Abby's teacher sends notes home each day indicating what activities she participated in and what she did to support her goals. Miss Suzanne keeps saying that Abby is doing well and seems to be comfortable in class with the other kids. That's what we want to hear!
At church I work with the young girls, ages 8-11. We meet twice each month and do different activities. Last week we had the girls make these treat pencils for their new teachers. We had extra supplies, so I made one for Abby's teacher.
I really think this school will be good for all of us. It gives Abby more interaction with kids her age, and I know she has to be loving all of the things she gets to learn about. She was always eager to learn new things before. (The theme this month is transportation - cars, trucks, etc. How fun!) She has kind of reached a plateau with her therapy too. She just doesn't like going anymore (and my car has the smell to prove it...if you catch my drift). So I am hoping that being in a new routine and changing things up a bit will help jump start her again. As for me, I enjoy being able to spend some one-on-one time with Spencer now. I think he likes it too. And I really like the time that it gives me to make dinner! Making dinner has been difficult these last few weeks. Someone has been requiring an awful lot of attention... But now I can just make it in the morning while she is gone. Problem solved! Actually, I am looking for a lot of good things to come from this.
A couple weeks ago when I stayed up until 2 AM to finish a book, I mentioned that I did so because it was an awful day and I needed to just get lost in something. It really was a terrible day, and I spent a good chunk of it on my knees. At one point that morning I felt like I was locking myself in my room every 30 minutes, begging for help and searching for some type of understanding. There were lots of tears that day. Around lunch time I saw that I had missed a call. When I checked the message, it was from Abby's pre-k teacher. We hadn't actually enrolled Abby in school at that point. I had done the preliminary evaluations back in January, but hadn't committed to it then. It was on my to-do list for several weeks, but I just hadn't had a chance to call and do it yet. So here she is, calling me instead. I called her back and told her we wanted Abby to be in her class this year. She came over that afternoon to get acquainted with Abby and go over a few things with us. After she left, I was reading the newsletters and other information she had given us, and it was then that I could see clear as day that this was going to bring about positive change. It made me so excited for Abby to start and get things rolling, because we are all in need of some good, positive change. Oh, and did I mention that this campus is only a mile away from our house? Kids get bussed in to this school from all over the city. But we live just one mile away from it. That's a good thing considering that Abby's wheelchair does not have bus restraints on it, meaning she can not take it on a bus. Coincidence? You can decide. But I am putting it into the "Reasons Why We Were Meant to Buy Our House" category. There are several that I have already put in there and I keep finding more and more as we go farther down this crazy journey. Our house is old. I didn't want an old house. I'm picky. In fact, I don't even remember putting this house on our list of homes to go see. But we came, we saw it, we loved it, we bought it. And now I have a basket full of reasons why we were led to it; most of them revolving around what has happened to Abby.
I heard some awesome words last week. It should be my motto. Someone said, "We all know that Heavenly Father will not give us more than we can bear. I just wish He didn't think so highly of me." Ditto. But at least He gives us those little tender mercies along the way to let us know that we CAN do it and that He has not forgotten us.
Another little gem that I came across this week:
"How could we expect to be joyous and to receive all that 'the Father hath' if we do not strive to become like Him? And, in fact, can we, on our scale, be like Him without sharing in the 'fellowship of his sufferings'? He shares with us His work; does that not suggest the need for our sharing, too, some of the suffering? . . .
"If in all of this there is some understandable trembling, the adrenaline of affliction can help to ensure that our pace will be brisk rather than casual. His grace will cover us like a cloak - enough to provide for survival but too thin to keep out all the cold. The seeming cold is there to keep us from drowsiness, and gospel gladness warms us enough to keep going."
-Neal A. Maxwell
Abby started school on Monday! She is attending a special-ed preschool offered through our school district. Her class meets for 2 1/2 hours, three days per week. The really nice part about this school is that they integrate communication and choice making into everything they do. She will also receive a half hour of therapy each day during class. Several months ago I took Abby in for an evaluation at the school and they came up with a plan for her and set goals that will help her on her road to recovery. The teacher and therapists now work on those goals during the class day. Pretty cool.
Unfortunately there was no way to put Abby into this preschool and still continue to take her to 6 hours of therapy each week. So we cut her therapy sessions in half and put them all on one day. She now sees all 4 of her therapists back to back, one morning each week. Some of them overlap their session times, so it comes out to be about 2 1/2 hours, just like school. I was worried that even this might be to much for her, but she seemed to do well with it this week.
Here she is on her FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
I figured I would just take a picture on her SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL. But that morning wasn't much better. Here she is later that afternoon (with fabulous hair, by the way).
Finally, I got a decent picture on her THIRD DAY OF SCHOOL. It was a better morning. Too bad you can't see the design on her shirt. It's pretty cute.
At church I work with the young girls, ages 8-11. We meet twice each month and do different activities. Last week we had the girls make these treat pencils for their new teachers. We had extra supplies, so I made one for Abby's teacher.
I really think this school will be good for all of us. It gives Abby more interaction with kids her age, and I know she has to be loving all of the things she gets to learn about. She was always eager to learn new things before. (The theme this month is transportation - cars, trucks, etc. How fun!) She has kind of reached a plateau with her therapy too. She just doesn't like going anymore (and my car has the smell to prove it...if you catch my drift). So I am hoping that being in a new routine and changing things up a bit will help jump start her again. As for me, I enjoy being able to spend some one-on-one time with Spencer now. I think he likes it too. And I really like the time that it gives me to make dinner! Making dinner has been difficult these last few weeks. Someone has been requiring an awful lot of attention... But now I can just make it in the morning while she is gone. Problem solved! Actually, I am looking for a lot of good things to come from this.
A couple weeks ago when I stayed up until 2 AM to finish a book, I mentioned that I did so because it was an awful day and I needed to just get lost in something. It really was a terrible day, and I spent a good chunk of it on my knees. At one point that morning I felt like I was locking myself in my room every 30 minutes, begging for help and searching for some type of understanding. There were lots of tears that day. Around lunch time I saw that I had missed a call. When I checked the message, it was from Abby's pre-k teacher. We hadn't actually enrolled Abby in school at that point. I had done the preliminary evaluations back in January, but hadn't committed to it then. It was on my to-do list for several weeks, but I just hadn't had a chance to call and do it yet. So here she is, calling me instead. I called her back and told her we wanted Abby to be in her class this year. She came over that afternoon to get acquainted with Abby and go over a few things with us. After she left, I was reading the newsletters and other information she had given us, and it was then that I could see clear as day that this was going to bring about positive change. It made me so excited for Abby to start and get things rolling, because we are all in need of some good, positive change. Oh, and did I mention that this campus is only a mile away from our house? Kids get bussed in to this school from all over the city. But we live just one mile away from it. That's a good thing considering that Abby's wheelchair does not have bus restraints on it, meaning she can not take it on a bus. Coincidence? You can decide. But I am putting it into the "Reasons Why We Were Meant to Buy Our House" category. There are several that I have already put in there and I keep finding more and more as we go farther down this crazy journey. Our house is old. I didn't want an old house. I'm picky. In fact, I don't even remember putting this house on our list of homes to go see. But we came, we saw it, we loved it, we bought it. And now I have a basket full of reasons why we were led to it; most of them revolving around what has happened to Abby.
I heard some awesome words last week. It should be my motto. Someone said, "We all know that Heavenly Father will not give us more than we can bear. I just wish He didn't think so highly of me." Ditto. But at least He gives us those little tender mercies along the way to let us know that we CAN do it and that He has not forgotten us.
Another little gem that I came across this week:
"How could we expect to be joyous and to receive all that 'the Father hath' if we do not strive to become like Him? And, in fact, can we, on our scale, be like Him without sharing in the 'fellowship of his sufferings'? He shares with us His work; does that not suggest the need for our sharing, too, some of the suffering? . . .
"If in all of this there is some understandable trembling, the adrenaline of affliction can help to ensure that our pace will be brisk rather than casual. His grace will cover us like a cloak - enough to provide for survival but too thin to keep out all the cold. The seeming cold is there to keep us from drowsiness, and gospel gladness warms us enough to keep going."
-Neal A. Maxwell
I'm so glad Abby is going to that school...I'm guessing it's the same one Trey goes to. He has done so well with it and I know so many people who send their kids to the special pre-school and they all love it and have seen such great results from it! Abby will do great! And it's going to be a wonderful break time for you to have some Karalee time!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that things have worked out the way they did so Abby can attend this preschool. it sounds like a wonderful opportunity! I also think it's wonderful that not only has Heavenly Father given you these tender mercies, but you continue to recognize them! Thank you for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this, Karalee. I needed this today. I am so glad Abby is in school. I'm sure it will be a fun change for her. How great that she's in a good program with obviously good teachers. Gosh, what a blessing. Also nice that they send home a report of what they did that day. My six year old can't recall a thing he did at school minutes earlier. It would be nice to have a note like that! I hope this really helps her. It's awesome that through all of this you have chosen to turn full-hearted to the Lord. It's amazing the strenght He can give you to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I hope things get easier. You've certainly proven yourself. You're amazing, Karalee. That's one very lucky girl you have to have a mom like you.
ReplyDeleteYay for school!! You're going to be amazed at the difference - it will give you a chance to miss her and for her to miss you. No relationship is ideal when you are together 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
ReplyDeleteI hope it continues to go well :)