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Wanted: Miracle Worker

For those of you who read regularly, or at least have some sort of personal connection to Jackson, then you know that we have been seeking/receiving services for him the past year or so (mostly for his speech delay/issues, which as an aside have improved immensely over the past year).

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten into detail about Jackson and his “talking,” but tomorrow is a huge step in his process of meeting age appropriate developmental milestones as far as communication. Tomorrow we meet with our towns speech and language program for a battery of assessments that will help us identify what might be a road block in his communication development and also narrow down the specific areas of weakness that need to be addressed.  

I’ve been an educator for close to 18 years both as a teacher and now as a principal. I’ve been part of more evaluations, progress monitoring check-ins and initial identification meetings than most people will in their life time. But this time I’m not doing the evaluations of hearing the results as a leader of an educational system… I’m the helpless parent who has to watch his son be assessed by people who know nothing about him other than his name. I have to sit back and let someone else’s educational and developmental knowledge do the diagnosis and listen to someone else tell me what is best for my child. 

I’m not OK with that, yes I know I have the ability and expertise to collaborate when determining the direction for his individualized education plan. But in all reality I can’t be there in this situation for him… I can’t help him tomorrow when he is being tested by someone he doesn’t know… and I definitely can’t control what the results say.  

I’m nervous and anxious and I don’t really know if I’m going to be ok. I’m not sure if this whole thing is ok. I’ve seen a lot of children with needs, both minor and significant needs receive the support they need through an amazing educator. I’ve seen public school teachers work miracles. I just hope one of those miracle workers comes across my son and works wonders for him too. 

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PROJECT BIG BOY ROOM (3rd ATTEMPT)… SUCCESS!!!

The following conversation takes place between 8:07pm and 9:51pm om Tuesday, March 14, 2017.  The conversation includes advice from a professional and should not be attempted without the supervision of an adult or caregiver over the age of 18.  The following events take place in real time…

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Success people… freaking success!  FINALLY!!!

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Daylight Savings Time

Daylight Savings Time: when you spend half the day trying to figure out which clock is right and the other half questioning why you became a parent in the first place.  

When all else fails and I’m still wide awake its helpful to know that all this walking back and forth has my goal for steps in a day met before I even eat breakfast. 

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Up-Up and Away 

I heard it from the next room… it didn’t matter where you were, however, as you could hear it from a mile away. Ollie’s first gravity defying blast… it was everywhere… I mean it was EVERY-WHERE! 

We’re now in Defcon 1 over here… just awaiting the next nuclear explosion… say a prayer. 

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Criss Cross Applesauce

I can’t believe it’s finally gotten to this point. The point where my own son sounds like he’s a student in one of my first grade classrooms. “Sit cross-cross applesauce daddy!”  

Yesterday, while building a block tower I was scolded for sitting the wrong way. When I was in school we used to be told to sit “Indian Style” when when teachers wanted to sit cross-legged on the ground. You don’t hear that phrase anymore, even when I first started teaching i would tell the class to sit cross-cross applesauce.  I’d occasionally through in a “sit like a Pretzel”.  

But now it’s come full circle. I’m no longer the teacher… I’m the student… in my own house. 


PS: Look at those knees… after years of hurdles… cross-cross applesauce no longer applies to me. My legs don’t bend like that anymore.