our preschool graduate.....

That's right, we have a preschool graduate in the Smith household. We were bummed to find out that we were going to be out of town for the graduation festivities, but Charlie did come home on his last day with this diploma. He also got some sidewalk chalk, bubbles and a pinwheel from his teacher. He was so stoked about all his new treasures.

A few weeks ago I had a meeting with his teacher to review the goals we had set when he started there. She said that he had made great progress with his social skills. He was playing with others without having to be asked and was rarely playing alone. He was also completing fine motor skill activities with little help and was able to stick with it for at least five minutes. He had completed the goals and will not be eligible for any special services next year in kindergarten. I was not surprised to hear this because I could see at home that his fine motor skills had really improved over the past few months. I have also seen him interacting more with kids at the playground and breaking out of his comfort zone. I was also not surprised to hear this because I don't think his teachers here ever really got why he needed help in the first place. The only reason he qualified for the program in Utah is because he was eligible in Idaho. From day one here, I have felt like the teachers thought I was completely crazy. I don't know, they just didn't seem to get it like the preschool in Idaho. I am thankful that his teacher here really did love Charlie and he had a great experience. He was bummed that school was out and is excited to start Kindergarten.

They also did some reading and mathematics testing. I am not sure why they did not do this when he started, but I didn't say much then. Our case worker in Idaho told me to disclose only the minimum and let them figure it out. I know the teacher figured out quickly that he was pretty bright, but she was quite shocked with his testing results. She said she had to ask him questions that she has never had to ask before because he just kept going. She said she was laughing because he kept saying how much fun it was. I let on that I did have some idea of what we are dealing with and explained that is why I have been pushing for the help he needed in the other areas. I did find out that Utah starts their gifted program in first grade (as opposed to the third grade in Idaho) so that is good news. If I think about all this for too long, I feel the anxiety creep in and I start to feel helpless and scared for the next few years. I just want him to get the education that he deserves and for him to love it too. Instead of panicking, I have just been praying. Praying for the path that lies before him, that all the right people are there to guide us right where he needs to be.

On another note, as I was taking the picture above Cannon came outside to see what was going on. He was not sure why Charlie was standing against the wall, but he was sure that he needed to do the same. Here he is behind the scenes, always toting his cup around in one arm and exploring with the other.