Scared to push her into the real world

CP Connection #5

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How could you not love that smile????

That laugh???

Everyone who knows her, loves her.

But I am scared to death for what the future year holds for her.

Elsie will start Kindergarten this Fall.

She has been in the same preschool, with the same teachers, and many of the same kids, for three years now.

I am terrified to throw her into a new classroom, with all new kids.

Kids who don't know her yet.

Kids who might not give her a chance.

I know, that's dumb, right?

But I still can't help but feel that way.

I don't ever want this girl to be made fun of.

I don't want people to assume she is not as smart as she is.

But I guess that is a fear of every mom, not just me.

And I can't protect her from what others in the world will do.

But, I have a feeling that these 'world' things are gonna bug me more than they bug her.

Yes, she can get her feelings hurt.

But she also knows who loves her and she knows what is important in her life.

And she loves back.

So hurt feelings don't tend to stick :)

I need to let her stay that way.

I need to not let myself and my worries change how she deals with her life.

She is an amazing little girl.

She is such an example to our little family.

She is our Sunshine :)

Tomorrow we will have her IEP to see what the plan is for next year, Kindergarten.

There are tings Elsie can do very well...but compared to other kindergartners, I wonder how she will do.

She is learning to cut with scissors.

She does good.

But the scissors she uses at school are specialty scissors that pop back open after you shut them.

I am also curious about how school work will go.

Elsie knows all her letters and sounds and how to write them.....but writing them legibly is a challenge for her.

And doing it fast is hard for her too.

Her preschool teacher said they would have modifications for her....I just wonder what.

I am excited for her to learn and grow.

But still so worried and scared at the same time!

I just want everyone to see her for the Angel she is :)

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Little extra update:

So I just got off the phone with Elsie's school PT.

She will be unable to make it to the IEP appointment tomorrow morning, so she wanted to give me a call to go over what goals she has for Elsie.

She told me that holding Elsie back this year was the best thing we could have done for her and the progress she made this year was incredible.

I wanted to reach through and hug Miss Holly right through the phone.

I love her and love that she has really taken the time to figure out how Elsie learns the best.

She told me that she did not do standardized testing with Elsie.

She said that it really focuses on standing on one foot and jumping up and down....stuff Elsie cannot do.

But she feels that there are other areas that Elsie does well.

And if they only looked at those standardized tests scores, what she does well would be looked over.

Miss Holly has figured out a great way to make Elsie work her very hardest without knowing it.

She said that it is funny, you usually have to have a kid do something that moves their body in order for them to work academically.

Elsie works the opposite.

I love that Miss Holly figured this way out.

She hides letters or says she is looking for a sound and hides these things where Elsie will have to bend down, or reach up high....places that gets her body moving and doing those PT things without Elsie knowing it.

She also told me that she did not set hard goals for Elsie over the next year.

She said that she knows this is gonna be a hard transition year for Elsie and she wants Elsie to get to know the PT and teachers before they try to push her too hard.

If that makes sense.

She said that she would hate for the first time to be 'too hard' for Elsie and have that experience ruin the rest of the year.

And if anyone knows how Elsie works....that is exactly what could happen!

I am so happy that she really loves Elsie and put real thought into her future and how to help her grow but also be happy.

She said she didn't care where Elsie fell  in the age appropriate categories.

She said that she just never wants her physical issues with CP to ever effect her social-ness and love for life.

I thanked her for being such a big part in Elsie's progress over the last three years.

Then she said to me that she will miss Elsie so much.

She said that she loves all the little kids she gets to work with, but every once in a while there is a little one who she feels teaches her more then she teaches them.

She said Elsie did that for her.

Made me smile and brought tears to my eyes.

I am Thankful for the m=amazing people Elsie has in her life that have pushed her to be the very best she can be.

I know that as she moves on she will meet even more great people who will push her even further.

Today while Miss Holly was working with her, the special ED teacher form Mary Mac was there to watch.

I asked Elsie about it and she first told me how much she loves Miss Holly.

Then she said that Laura was there, I am assuming that was the name of the Spec. Ed teacher....

Anyway, she said that Laura was her new best friend.

Lets hope this next year is just as awesome as the last three preschool years have been!

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