School District

Yesterday was Anderson's big day with the school district. The meeting was at 9AM on Thursday. Charlie ran into work first thing in the AM, to check in with work and pull together a packet for us to present. He put a cover page with a picture of Anderson, a table of contents, label pages for the info in the packet...he did such a great job. My Aunt and I had printed copies of Anderson's "Chiari" MRI and printed a copy of my MRI of a "normal brain"...well, lets say mine is normal at least anatomically :) hA! Anyway, it is an amazing visual for someone to physically SEE what is wrong with Anderson's brain.

We decide to take Ryan with us b/c Anna has to come (since she is nursing every 2 hours)...and they wanted to meet Anderson. So, we were not going to get a sitter for Ryan. The boys and I stop at Star*bucks on our way over to the school. We pull up to the special education school....wait for Charlie.

As I am sitting there, I just start crying. I CAN'T believe I am sitting in this parking lot. I can't believe the knots in my stomach as I walk into this school for special needs children, I can't believe I have to go into this school and discuss MY special needs child with a school psychologist who has probably never heard of Chiari and probably can't spell it! AHH!!!

Charlie pulls up, comes up to my window, gives me a kiss and he can tell I am in tears. He asks me what is wrong. I try to say b/w my tears that I can't believe I am here, I can't believe we are doing this, I DO NOT WANT to be here....and he said, what do you mean, you do not want to be here. I told him, we have to be here, but I DO NOT want to be here. All I could think about was wishing I was at the zoo with the boys, or at the park with them getting ready to go run and play...and for Anderson to yell...MOMMY across the playground, WATCH THIS. Instead, I am getting ready to go into a room with my son's case worker and a school psychiatrist to "fight" for the BEST possible education we can get our son at this point who can't even utter 1 word that a stranger can understand.

WOW, what a hard day it was yesterday.

In the end...the meeting was great. I felt great when I left. The school psychologist was wonderful, intelligent and sweet. I felt that she "listened" to us, and is going to do her best to help Anderson. Felt like we had a partner...but, this is only meeting #1 :) I am cautiously optimistic at this point.

We shall see....they will do 6 assessments on Anderson in 2 - 45 minute sessions (now, you tell me....think that is going to work....1.5 hours to determine in 6 different areas where he should be placed?). Anyway, we are trying to "trust the system" and see what happens......