Today marked the end of our 2017 school year and as always it left me feeling quite emotional, albeit for good reasons. I am so proud of all 3 of our kids for all of the growth they made from September until now and so thankful to some very dedicated people who played integral roles in all of their progress. I am proud of all of us for getting through this year day after day and feeling as though we've "come out on top" at the end.
Cody finished up another year at his daycare after having been moved upstairs with the "big kids". He's grown so much developmentally but is still 2 so we are in a very tough stage with him. While I was running this morning I was thinking how this will all be a blip on the radar one day (until we are on to new difficulties) but it can all feel pretty overwhelming most days when he is so fiercely independent and wanting to do the opposite of all of the directions he is given. However, I know we are doing something right during the moments of "clarity"; the moments where he uses his manners, follows directions, and it all seems to come together.
Kailey finished up her first year at our elementary school as a Kindergartener and academically did great. She has been a sponge and absorbed so much from her teacher this year which is evident from sentence starters like "Mom, did you know...?". She has been our informant this year and comes home with information about things that took place at school. She seems to know all that's going on around her which has been very helpful in many ways. She loved her teacher, her school, her friends and her experiences this year and we know that she has many great things ahead.
This has been a big year for Colin in 1st grade and we are so proud of all of the growth he has made. Last year was a great year for him for learning how to be a student and function in his environment but this year included a lot of academic growth. One of the biggest areas we see it is in his love for reading and how well he is currently reading. We know that things were not always easy for those working with him but we do know that they worked very hard day after day in ways that have allowed him to be so successful. He really does love school and the people he has spent his year with.
We are also so proud of Colin for becoming very independent and riding the regular bus this year!
I think at the end of the day what leaves me feeling the most emotional is knowing they are part of a community; one in which they love, are happy, have friends, people who look out for them, and teachers/staff that care for them as well. And so, I was emotional today for a good reason...knowing that my kids are cared for, have people that work hard for them in ways that allow them to be successful, and that all of OUR hard work is paying off as well. It's been a great year for all!
This past weekend was Colin and Kailey's dance recital and we were so proud of both of them! It was so much fun watching both of them up on stage together and dancing to one of our favorite songs (Can't Stop the Feeling). This was Kailey's third recital and Colin's second and it was a much talked about event in our house in the weeks leading up to it.
Kailey started dance several years ago when she was 3 and that year we were able to bring her alone without having to bring Colin with us. However, when we signed her the next year, the time was such that I was going to be the one who had to bring her (along with Colin and Cody). In the beginning it was a struggle trying to keep Colin out of the room and then eventually I got him to a point where he would just stand in the doorway and watch. He has always loved music and dancing and so it was a bit of a tease for him to be there but not be able to participate. One day in November, Kailey's teacher Mr. Richard turned to Colin and asked him if he wanted to join the group. I was a little hesitant at first because I wasn't sure how well he would follow the directions and stay with the group at that time, but he pleasantly surprised me so much that Mr. Richard asked Colin to permanently join and he's loved it ever since.
I have always been so incredibly grateful for that moment; for Colin being welcomed into the dance class so that he could do something with his sister that he really enjoyed.
And so, dance has been one of our activities that we have been happy to have the two of them participate in and one that they both have enjoyed.
It was another fun recital watching these two perform with their friends on stage! And without further adieu, the videos! Both of the recital videos were taken from someone else who was focusing on their own children; I can't stop watching!
Several weeks ago, Chris and I attended an IEP meeting for Colin that was considered his annual review despite the legal process we are currently in with the district. It was far different than the majority of the meetings we have attended when placement is going to be discussed. There were many team members there in addition to some extra attendees that played different roles in the meeting. We walked away that day with smiles that stretched from ear to ear.
In the time between when Colin was born and when he was a month old, Chris and I spent a lot of time visiting different doctors and have evaluations done for various therapies and other services. While I can't remember a time when we were told Colin wouldn't do something, we heard a lot of "it will be very difficult...it will take a long time....he might not be able to...not like other kids..." and it was very overwhelming for us. However, we were determined to do what we needed to do for Colin and so we took every recommendation to heart as something we should do as often as possible (sometimes to a fault). In the mix of our post-meeting feelings, this video popped up as a Facebook "memory" and it reminded me again of our (and Colin's) determination.
I will never forget that moment; Colin was just about a month old and hated tummy time. We were told it would take him a long time to be able to do something as simple as roll over and it was suggested we should put him on his tummy as often as possible (which he hated). And as a 4 week old "weak" little baby, he angrily pushed himself over onto his back and showed Chris and I what he could do.
Colin's entrance into this world scared us more than anything because all we could thing about was how we would "do" this. But thank God for Colin because he showed us the way and so we believed he could...roll over, crawl, walk, talk, run, read, play soccer, be in a regular academic class, have friends, be a typical little boy, etc. We have been as determined as he was that day he ended up on his back just so he didn't have to be on his tummy one minute longer. We have known that Colin is capable because we all work really hard to give him the tools to be successful.
We are so grateful for teachers and therapists that have worked very hard this year so that Colin could make the kind of progress they spoke about at our meeting. We were so proud of Colin as we listened to each essential team member talk about how far he has come this year. He is an active member of his 1st grade class and in many areas he has made such great improvement. One of my favorite things they spoke about was his improvement at "circle time" on the carpet. At the beginning of the year he was an observer in that he listened and paid attention but rarely participated without a lot of help. However, his general education teacher talked about how involved he is now in the discussions that take place during this time. He contributes. His DRA reading level is testing mid-1st grade level and he could have actually tested at the next level had his reading comprehension not held him back. They have been using a new program for math and literacy that we all agree has helped and so it will continue next year.
Another favorite discussion we had was over his independence which they try to give him as much as possible. He's ridden the regular school bus with his sister (although they don't sit together) all year and so he boards the bus, gets off the bus, and goes into the school/his classroom all by himself. His therapy room and classroom are at opposite ends of a long hallway and so they have it all worked out now so that he can walk himself from one room to the other. When he gets to the room he is headed he will turn and either give his teacher/paraprofessional or the therapist he has left two thumbs up. The best part is that they discussed how many kids will walk along the hallway touching different things, dawdling, etc. but he is a man on a mission and gets himself from one place to another without distraction.
Despite how elated and proud we have been with Colin and what this year has brought with it, I have still found that at one of the most positive meetings we have had to date, I have had a writer's block on getting this post written. His progress has been evident when you look at the big picture of academics and being a member of a general education first grade class, but also, in the little things we see along the way that most might miss. The above picture was at Kailey's Kindergarten show and they allowed the 1st graders to also come and watch since it took place during the school day. Colin walked in with a big smile for me, sat in his spot, waved a few times, and then when it was time to go back to his classroom, turned and gave me two thumbs up and left the room. Although it wouldn't have been appropriate at that time, I was actually kind of disappointed he didn't run over to give me a hug but also so proud!
Colin is growing up in front of our eyes and we are so proud of this little boy he is becoming. We truly believe it's because we haven't given up on our life goals we have for Colin which include being educated in a general education classroom. We believe he is being shaped by this inclusive education; by the teachers/therapists and fellow classmates he spends his days learning from. We are so proud to say that he will be a student in a general education 2nd grade classroom with additional supports that will continue to help him be successful. It has been a long journey to get to this meeting we just had but each step of the way is worth the outcomes we are seeing. We are determined to do what is necessary to give Colin exactly what he needs to continue to grow and mature into this independent little boy. So after this one, we could exhale a bit knowing that we have all made progress and will continue to push just as hard knowing we are doing the very best we can for Colin.
