An Honor at School

Today's gift is an honor at school.

I never thought that on the same day we have an IEP meeting I would be writing how my daughter's gift today is an honor at school.

I truly believe there is a reason this "honor" came home today...this gift.

Yes, we had an IEP meeting....a three hour IEP meeting.  Yes, they are not fun.  Mostly just long, long, long, but something we must do...every year.

All and all our meeting was very successful.  As I have said in the past we have an amazing team working on behalf of my daughter.  They believe in her and that is all we can ask.  We did have a minor bump, but we figured it out...and moved on.

Coming out of IEP meetings I am drained...physically and emotionally.  It takes a lot out of me, especially when you get heated about something you are passionate about...like my daughter.  When I come home I just want to decompress a little...but everyone (grandparents) want to know what happened...so you relive it again and get all worked up...a little bit.  Today, I will say I was able to decompress and have lunch before round two.

And it was during this time, that my mom told me about my daughter's honor she got at school today (she picked her up as I was still in the meeting).  Next year she will be in 5th grade and 5th graders can have "jobs" at school throughout the day.  My daughter applied for a couple and had to submit an application...just like everyone else.  Well, today...she was honored with TWO jobs!!!!

For the 2013-2014 school year, she will be a safety patrol in the morning AND as part of the school helper program she will help in the bookstore!  I could not be happier for her!  And she is so proud of herself!!!!

This gift is exactly what I needed today!  She works so hard and deserves chances just like everyone else...and her school GETS it!!!  This gift today helped me realize how incredibly lucky we are to have her in a school where inclusion is understood and accepted and wanted!  We couldn't be happier having our children be part of this school community.  Even through all the politics we have to deal with, at the end of the day we are extremely blessed.

Here is a quote for today....

Your life is your message to the world.  Make sure it is inspiring- Author Unknown





© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved
365 Days Gift

Proud Big Sister

Today's gift is being a proud big sister.

This week my middle daughter was special friend for the whole week in her class.  The whole week they get extra "special" attention, they give a 20 minute presentation about themselves and one/both of the parents can come into the class to read.

Today was my day to read to the class.

My middle daughter asked her teacher if she could invite her sister down to listen to the stories when I came to read.  Pretty much everyone in the school knows my other daughter with special needs....and if you didn't "know" her, you definitely knew her name.  My middle daughter wanted her friends to spend time with her.

How sweet is this?!?!?!

Around 9:00am this morning, I was in the 2nd grade class, sitting on the sofa with 22 second graders all around me while we waited for my other daughter to come up from her classroom.  As soon as she reached the doorway, the class went wild!  They were saying her name, saying hello...saying hi...it was incredible to see the excitement....you would have thought she was a celebrity!

I honestly do not know who was more excited and more proud....my daughter with special needs or my daughter who was special friend for the week.  They both were glowing and they both were extremely happy for the other one.

My daughter who was special friend was thrilled she could share this special week with her sister, in her classroom and knew she would love to be there when I came in to read.  She wanted her friends to spend more time with her sister.

My daughter with Rett Syndrome was beyond ecstatic to be in her sister's classroom with her friends and she could tell by her entrance they were excited to have her be with them too!  She loved the attention and loved being accepted by her sister's peers.

Needless to say, I was glowing too!  I had both of my girls sitting next to me...the one on the left who has special needs and the one on the right who was special friend for the week.  No matter how you look at it, they are both special in their own ways and today they both made me extremely proud!

Here is a quote for today....

Individually we are special, together we are spectacular- Author Unknown


© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved
365 Days Gift