{The Happy Dance}

Ooooh! I am so very, very thrilled that today's I.E.P. {Individualized Education Plan} Meeting went so unbelievably well. Darling Hubby and I were very anxious about this meeting, as the {school district} had heretofore NOT been cooperative in offering to fully support & provide for Oliver's Therapy needs {in addition to his Tutoring needs}...This was a HUGE sticking point last Spring and continued to be a point of contention into the summer. We all took the summer off....{and our school district coincidentally hired a new Director of Special Services}... lo' and behold, today we were offered {that's right, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DID A 180 and OFFERED} everything we had initially said Oliver needed for Kindergarten! No points of contention...Meeting done in 70 mins! I'm still shaking my head when I think about how it all happened, really I am! {does the Happy Dance}!

So, here is the gist of it Kindergarten for Lil' O:

~A Kindergarten teacher {certified in Special Education, Elementary School Level} 5 days per week for 1 hour per day that comes to our house for tutoring.

~A Deaf Education Itinerant {certified Deaf Educator} 3 days a week to co-teach with the above teacher, serve as an interpreter, and bridge communication gaps between the Teacher & Lil' O, in our home.

~Speech Therapist, 30 minutes per week of direct services, in our home. {decreased due to increase in focus on language by the Deaf Ed. Itinerant}

~Occupational Therapist & Physical Therapist, 1 hour per week alternating weeks, in our home.

~Vision Itinerant, 60 minutes per Quarter, consultative time with the Teacher to address vision issues.

~Audiological Services, 60 minutes per year to test & evaluate Hearing and adjust aids, etc, through local Deaf & Hard of Hearing Program.

~Sign Language Classes for immediate family & for Nursing Staff, through local Deaf & Hard of Hearing Program.

I think that about covers it. We are looking forward to a year of good Educational & Developmental growth for Lil' O. We are excited to have our Fitness & School Room put to {Full} use and have Lil' O's teachers & therapists really dig in and work hard on his behalf.

But.......first we have to get Lil' O through a {second} Cardiac Catheterization this coming Thursday. Yes, a second one! {Repeating what was very likely the scariest thing we have had to put him through}...because we need to better see what is going on inside his little heart. His medication has not been effective enough to show any improvement via Cardiac Echo since he started on it {November 2008; the medication is a result of his first Cardiac Cath too} so another Cardiac Cath is necessary. It is possible that the improvements are so minute and minor that they are not being detected by an ECHO...let's hope! What we don't see via ECHO is any worsening of his hypertension, so that is AWESOME and we hope the Cardiac Cath also proves that to be the case! So, be thinking about us next week. {It will be a tough one.} Ian, Evan, and Ilse all start back to school on Wednesday and Ollie will start with Homebound Kindergarten on August 31st, hopefully, after he takes a few days to recover from his procedure.

Have a great weekend, everyone. Summer is almost over. Fall weather is even coming through on/off already. I am so ready... I love, love, love Autumn! I love everything about it {Fall colors, the cool weather, the decor, Halloween, Thanksgiving, leaves, haystacks, pumpkins, apple cider, wassail, leaves changing color and falling off the trees.} But, I do dread sending my children back to school. The house is too empty and quiet without them & their friends! I like the hussle and bussle of a FULL HOUSE!

{Good Night & Sweet Dreams}