First Day of New Speech Class

Now that Jamesie is three he aged out of at-home speech services.  The GREAT news is the charter school right down the street from us agreed to take Jamesie for speech lessons twice a week.  Sean will go to kindergarten there next year and when Jamesie is 4 he'll start K-4 there.  However, since it is charter and Jamesie isn't actually a student there yet, they weren't required by the school district to implement our IEP, so our other option was to go to our "home school" which was actually about 25 minutes away and less than desirable.  Basically, our charter school exactly 1 mile from our home is doing us a big favor by giving him speech lessons.  Even better though, the speech therapist doesn't act like she's doing us a favor, she's so kind and gentle and fun with Jamesie (and Sean!).

The not-so-great news was I was completely emotionally un-prepared for actually leaving Jamesie at his first speech lesson today.  Since he might have another little one in his speech lesson, I can't stay and watch as I have with his speech for the last year.  Leaving him with Ms. Mary to walk down that big hallway was awful.  He was so little in his Curious George hat and converse high tops.  He let go of my hand and took Ms. Mary's and off he went... for his first "school" lesson... without me.  I went and sat for the next thirty minutes in the car, nursed the baby and listened to Mother Angelica on Catholic Radio and let the tears flow.  I wasn't expecting that. 

28 minutes after I left him I was waiting for him to come back to me.  And he did-- all smiles, bouncing and running into the office.  He loved the new friend he made in speech today and said he had fun in his lesson.  He was so excited that he learned Ms. Mary's name that he spent much of the afternoon saying "Maaa-wee!  Maaa-wee!"  For the first time in 3 years of bedtime prayers he said "Hail Ma-wee!" tonight.  When I asked who was Jesus's Mommy he was so excited to yell "Ma-wee!"  He was so proud of himself after his lesson today.  I'm looking forward to this next step in his therapy. Even before we went to school today he had his shoes on for a good hour, saying "ready-to-go-now!" 

Our perseverant little boy :).

 

We are proud of our little guy.  This new speech situation will be good.  If I don't cry every time.