Final Day of Session One Conductive Education

Laila waiting to pass out suckers to her friends for her last day.

 As hard as it was to be away for an entire month and as hard as Laila and I both worked, I really can't believe how fast that time went by.  Even Jack said that too and he was playing single dad at home with two other kids to handle. 

Jack didn't end up being able to fly up for the last day on Friday because the weather was too bad so at the last minute Thursday night we devised a plan and my mom (saving the day AGAIN!) offered to keep the kids overnight Thursday so Jack could drive up.  I was so thankful for this and so was Jack because there really is nothing like being able to be in the classroom with the conductors and see everything in action.  It was also so nice to have him be able to help me get everything loaded into the car Friday morning and get to see RMH one more time with me.  Checking out on Friday was a bit emotional as I had met a few people that I had spent many meals with and had really grown to love the staff and volunteers there.  It's so heart warming to hear the compliments and their love for Laila and have them hope we come back soon.

The final class day was just like any other day for Laila.  Work and play all rolled into one without a minute being spared.  I do love that so much about CE, how they make every little activity count and every transition she has to work to get to the next thing.  We were even a little late for our parent meeting with the director because Laila was being a little uncooperative to walk from the potty to topic time.  Jack and I both figured they would just pick her up as the rest of the class was waiting on her and the director was waiting on us but nope, she had to do it no matter how long it took.  I absolutely love that.  No giving up on her, no matter what.  She has to know she can do it, even when it's hard.

Our meeting was good with the director and one of Laila's conductors.  They again said that they see a ton of potential in Laila and hope that she can come back soon.  While they don't feel she'll be up and walking on her own anytime soon, they do say that they think it's possible for her to be using an adaptive walker in the next couple of years which is very exciting.  I also love the realism that comes along with this program.  They tell us her strengths but don't give us any false hope.  I'm OK with that when they are not just telling us straight out that she will never walk which is what we've been told by several people already.  We know she has a long way to go but also know she is one of the most determined children we have ever seen and a family that loves her to pieces including a brother and sister that LOVE to help :)  We should get a full report from the school in a week or so including before and after pictures and notes for her current therapists and teachers of how we can change some things to continue things she has learned. 

It has been good being home this weekend.  It's definitely easier to make all these changes while Emma Jackson & Jack are all home.  The kids are fighting over who gets to read Laila a book while she sits on the potty.  I can't believe how much Jackson is reading now.  He's really come a  long way in the last month with his skills.  They also LOVE to sing the bravo song for Laila when she goes on the potty.  So far since we've been home we've had one #1 on the potty and one #1&2 combo.  Can't complain about that!!  Can I just state again how amazed I am by this?!?  We've been very consistent about taking steps to her chair and also standing up to get out of it.  She's not fighting us at all about these anymore.  She's been found over the past few days scooting herself to get into whatever she can find and even rolling a few times to things.  She's been eating three meals a day and only using her g-tube at night again.  I've found a position I can get her to sit in long enough to be able to do her hair in the mornings.  I help her but it's so much nicer than it used to be.  Her talking is phenomenal!  We had dinner with our Peterson friends tonight and Chanda was saying as well how much more you can understand and how she is using words clearly and appropriately.  Just for an example, I was eating a sucker in the car on the way over there tonight (spoiling my dinner!) and Laila kept saying "Momma, taste!!"  Not something I had taught her but that she had just caught on to.  That is so huge and gives me such hope for her to language in the future.  If she is learning these things on her own it means that she is making connections on her own.  She has moved to saying most things in a 2-4 word phrase now including verbs.  So exciting!

It's back to pre-school for Laila tomorrow and we have a lot to share with her teachers here.  They had already told us we'd have a case conference when we got home so we could talk about and implement things from her CE experience.  I'm excited for the ways we can give Laila

I just wanted to state one last time how grateful I am for all of you following along with us on this crazy roller coaster.  Thanks for praying for me and putting up with me as I was pouring my heart out about all of this over the past month.  I do hope that those of you parents with children with CP that are reading this will not only give CE a try but also be able to go into a little more aware of what is involved and what to expect.  I know I really look forward to be able to go back again, Lord willing, a little more prepared.  I do know it was God's will for us to be there and am amazed at the way we were provided for and supported.  I also know it was His will for me to write this over this past month and a therapy for myself but also because He knew I would need your specific prayers to help me through and I am so, so grateful because I think there were times that I would've quit or just stuck it out without the right attitude and it would've been a waste.  But isn't that just like God to smile and show me that He knew what He was doing with me all along, and most likely laugh at me and the way I threw my little childish, rebellious fits when my exact stupid plan.  Ah well, live & learn right?  ;)

Got permission "D"'s mom to get a picture of them together.  Right after this he kissed his hand and put it on her cheek.  So stinking cute!

We're excited that we have an opportunity to go back up toe Grand Rapids on October 18th to celebrate the Conductive Learning Center at a Gala to raise money for the school.  There will be dinner and an auction and from what I've heard they will have speakers including some kids that have gone through the program.  It will be so neat to be able to hear from the kids themselves on how CE has changed their lives.  I'm excited too that this current session will still be going on so some of our friends that we met from out of state will still be there and we might be able to see them.  Tickets are a little pricey for non-parents at $125 a piece but if anyone would like to go with us we 'd love to have you!  Your money will be going to an amazing cause.  One that has literally changed all of our lives.

So now this blog will go back to being about our whole family which I'm excited to try to keep up on again now that I'm back in the habit.  I hope that you will continue to check in on us here.  Just to keep you interested, Laila will be bringing home her brand new power chair on Wednesday so stay tuned for some video...... ;)