The Professionals Have Their Say

Today was filled with professionals and their opinions. First, we were sitting in a doctor's waiting room this morning when a woman commented that I had 3 beautiful children.  I thanked her and she said, "They are homeschooled, right?"  I said yes but was very confused as to how she could know that. She explained that she worked in the public school system and that my kids looked too "alive" for public school kids and could talk easily with people who were a different age than them. Well, she is right about that! I never get why people think you are going to pick up more social skills in school than the real world.

Then we saw Goldilocks' psychiatrist for a follow-up.  She has seen Goldilocks for years and we like her a lot. Today, she suggested that, because Goldilocks was falling so far behind her peers in reading, perhaps I should consider placing her in public school special educ!  Umm....NO!  She went on to say that the kids played so well together and that Goldilocks obviously enjoyed learning and was gleening many facts from her learning at home.  However, her younger sibs were leaving her behind, and it could cause emotional scarring.  Ummm....and 26 students leaving her behind would be no big deal? PLEASE... After we talked it out for awhile, she had to admit that with lower IQ kids the school system doesn't do much to help them, and they mostly get lost. I told her I was looking for a reading specialist, but frankly her being well adjusted and enjoying learning what she could get was more important to me. Also, who could better adapt lessons, watch over her progress, give one-on-one, and find other ways for her to shine -- her mother or an overburdened school system?  I had her there. Besides, when Goldilocks was diagnosed with FASD, the geneticist was so pleased that she is homeschooled and literally begged me never to send her to public school!

Lastly, we went to see Tom Sawyer's play therapist psychologist, where he is working on social skills and still working through his feelings associated with his near-death birth trauma. I was explaining some issues to her, and we were talking about the complications of raising several children with special needs and fitting their issues/personalities together. She said, "There is Parenting 101, which is the basics and many parents struggle with that and then there is high level, Very Advanced Parenting." She told me that was what I was doing with seemingly very little struggle. She went on to say that she was amazed by what my dh and I had been able to do for our children and that I was an extraordinary parent. She stood in amazement! (I stood in amazement at what she was saying.) She said God placed these children with us because we were a perfect family in His eyes ~ growing together. She agreed that my calling was to homeschool, love, and raise my beautiful children who were such special gifts. They were special children placed here on earth to get the rest of us to wake up and realize how blessed we are .... that they were here with their own special misssion, whatever that might be. WOW! I knew I liked this lady!!!  Of course, this made me feel really good and valued.

Anyhow, I did not write this to toot my horn but to remember it. I use the blog as my journal and want to keep the memories this way. When you are in the trenches all day every day, sometimes you forget that you really are doing a good job ... that all is well and to stand strong in faith. It will be okay, as long as I stick to my calling and raise these children to the best of my ability. God will provide the strength and skills that I need when I need them.

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On another note entirely ~

The new popular sport in our home is wheelbarrow rides.




and wheelbarrow tipping...


and all-out crashes...


Blessings, Dawn