Meet the Teacher

Everyone started school this week.

But Tyler......

Ok, but the whole school district's kindergartners. He didn't care much UNTIL the bus came to make their route and get times. I took him out to met the drivers and he climbed on, sat down in a seat and when we tried to get him out he cried and cried and cried.

As I got him off the bus he told me that he was so sad because he wanted to go to "cool." He was devastated. I carried him in the house and he sobbed and sobbed. He said he wanted to go see Miss Melanie ( his teacher) and that he was suppose to ride the bus to "cool." That his note told him he could ride the bus.

Wednesday was our day to meet Miss Melanie. She needed to do some testing and see where he was and see how much of our day would be in the transitional kindergarten and how much would be in the traditional. Ty did really well and will be spending most of his social time in the regular class. He will also be in for a few other subjects as well.

Ty did a great job with his letters and numbers. I was glad that he did so well. He is funny and had everyone in there laughing ( as usual) and he was ready to stay and be at school. We headed to the office to sign papers and fill out regular registration papers. This is always an ordeal when we have to hand over a birth certificate. I always get asked if his weight is a typo.

After papers we went to the store. Ty was so upset that we couldn't go to the merry go round. He thought we were going to go see a merry go round. Poor kid, just can't catch a break. I mean really.. A merry go round.

School is going to be good for Ty this year. He will have all the therapy he can at school and we are making some major changes to his braille options. We will be keeping the therapy private as well. He really needs the PT. Poor kid.

As the mom: I can't wait for a routine and only one kid to drag to the grocery store.

School time, Bullies and Just Mean

When I was growing up school was always anticipated and we would get so excited for it to start. We spent the summer working to get our school clothes so we could buy what we wanted and we went shopping for new stuff. As we got older we got to go to the mall. I always thought that was the coolest thing. To know I got all my stuff from the mall. I still remember the dark blue guess jeans I HAD to have and I spent way to much money to have them.

Even when I went back to school some things never changed. I was never really popular ( I KNOW... SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!) I had friends and I had some really great friends. I loved my high school group of friends and I adored my best friend Stephanie. ( who is due to have another sweet boy SOON!)

There were some kids that were teased HORRIBLY. Most of them had things "wrong" with them. One that I remember was teased to the point of cruel was John. I am pretty sure John passed away after high school. No one really knows for sure. But some mean stuff was done.

Last night I was watching the bachelor pad and the challenge was plain out CRUEL. They were throwing eggs at the people who they thought were the ugliest. It kind of made my skin crawl.

Add that to the man that decapitate his sons head and left it outside for the mom to find so she would " feel stupid" it really got my tears flowing. The little boy was mutilated. He also had cerebral palsy and his dad was "tired" of taking care of him.

I do not know what the future holds for us. But I am sending my sweet baby off to school. He is not " normal" by outside standards. He is "normal" for us. But he struggles. He has childish games he likes to play. He doesn't pretend play with others. He doesn't understand guns and war and Indians. Or start wars and start troopers. But he wants to belong. He wants to have friends. He wants to have other people be around him because he is him.

I guess I am asking if you are sending your kids off to school, teach them that there is different and that different isn't bad. That they have great things about them. To find the good and not the bad.

Graduation

Ty had is graduation program on Wednesday. After a horrific night the night before, ( like up 6 or seven times, out of bed, crying all night) I sent him off to school a little crabby. Ok. A LOT crabby. I knew I would be there in a few hours and usually he doesn't ask like a punk at school.

I had some errands to run ( which made me in a bad mood because I was already tired) and got there as they started singing. His class isn't very big but he didn't see me come in. Ms. Holly ( I think) waited for me since as soon as I got there they started giving out the diplomas. Ty was first. He told her " No thank you." I started to talk to Tyler and when he realized I was there, grabbed his papers and said " I go home now?" He was not a happy camper to realize they weren't done yet. But he chilled out when people starting clapping and he joined right in.

After 2 songs we watched a short video of the class and the aides started passing out treats to go outside. Ty was told it was ice cream and when he was offered one he had a great big meltdown. Why? Because it wasn't cones. So he cried and cried and asked if he could get a cone. ( and if he could drive the jeep) I only gave into one of his requests.

Sorry the first one is fuzzy. He was sticking his tongue out a lot but he kept moving so it is fuzzy.

I am so glad he finally is done with preschool and he can go on to bigger stuff. We are excited that he is going to just the right kindergarten for him. I don't mind him growing up. He is such a miracle to us that he makes every day amazing. ( Hard and long but amazing) He is in a 5 week extended school year ( but it isn't classroom at all) and we have a lot going on during the summer with LOTS of changes.

Ty is having a really rough go at life this week. It is testing both parents patience and Ty is not handling it very well. His dad is leaving for a week on Sunday and so it is just me. I am heading to my parents for the extra help and we really appreciate all they have done. I hope that we can transition out of the rough stuff soon.

Till then, T is no longer a preschool kid.

Now on to Kindergarten.

Education with Special Needs

Sometimes having a kiddo with special needs has no perks. I do have to say close parking and door to door bus service can really rock. But what doesn't rock is that people don't expect much even if we as parents do.

"Normal" parents don't worry about IEP's, hitting milestones and the social aspect for kids that have extra needs. It generally comes easily and naturally as they grow and progress and get older. Kids that have delays are lacking something. They seem to advance in one area and fall behind or stay the same in others.

This year Tyler has done exceptionally well and he has exceeded his goals for MOST of the year. Apparently after our Christmas break he regressed in his gross motor skills. He stopped doing a few things that he was doing and even has gone as far as to not use one of his arms.

What makes me mad? We had parent teacher conferences a few weeks ago. NO ONE SAID ANYTHING. Christmas was MONTHS ago. I have NOT noticed anything. I am so mad that no one told me until today.

Apparently with his regressing in that one area he would qualify for summer school. While normally I would be totally stoked for it there is a catch. He can't attend for the other activities because he is only showing issues in one area. But what really gets me is that I asked to met with them in a week from Wednesday *( I have an appointment for Grayson that day) they have waited so long to tell me about it that they are coming up on the papers needing to be submitted.

My HUGE problem is that even though has made amazing progress he is going to be six. He is going to be in kindergarten this year. He can't write. It isn't possible with his hands the way they are. But he is suppose to be doing "regular" school? He doesn't talk like a 6 year old ( though today he told me he was sassy!) but he isn't going to get speech because he advanced this year.

How is he suppose to be in a Typical classroom with out the extra help when he isn't "really" up to par? I have accepted that he might not ever be "Typical" ( Please do not think that I don't push him or that I am degrading him in ANY WAY!) He can and will do EVERYTHING. It just is on Ty time. But give him the chance.

If he has to go for summer school and not be able to go to the other stuff, then I want to know what they are going to do to get him up to standard. I feel like he will just be blown off because he has disabilities. This isn't a chronically ill child that GETS better. Not as he gets bigger he will get better and stronger.. This is HIS life. This is how it will always be. There is no magic transplant, therapy, pill, long regime of drugs to fix this. His disability will always be there and will always be something that they look at and say " He is crippled, he is blind, he has brain damage" YES we know he has all those things. But he has a WILL to do it.

So in momma bear fashion we will be back at Shriners next week for some evaluations, starts of therapy and just MAYBE get in to have surgery that was due in October. We have another appointment with the Eye guy and with his physiatrist because we don't know where to go next.

I feel like I failed my son.

PS if anyone needs rides up to the city in the next 3 weeks we are going EVERY single day :(