Cara's Last Day

Believe it or not, Cara's first year of preschool came to a close on May 13th! Ben & I joined her class in an end-of-the-year party and presentation of certificates. Unfortunately, Cara cried through most of it, as is usually the case when one of us comes into her classroom. We think it is because we are, in her eyes, a break in routine, though she is glad to see us. Nevertheless, Cara did participate in the singing of several songs and when her name was called, she went up to get her certificate. We then enjoyed a light lunch and some special treats before saying goodbye to her wonderful teacher & aide. We also got lots of mementos to take home with us--drawings that Cara made and pictures taken throughout the year. Her teacher also showed us Cara's story journal and it was great to see the progress that she has made over the year. This year has been a wonderful one for Cara, as she has grown (in so many ways) by leaps & bounds. I know that we owe a lot of this to her teacher, aides and therapists. I cannot begin to sing their praises except to say that our expectations were far exceeded!

Cara's therapists all sent home packets of activity ideas that we can do with Cara over the summer to keep helping her meeting her goals. I'm excited to try some with her and keep on learning over the next couple of months.

I know that she misses preschool, the routine & her classmates, but what I think she misses the most is...riding the school bus! Everytime that we see one, she excitedly announces "BAAA!".

Here's to the summer and all the fun that it will bring!





Sitting on the carpet for song time.


With her certificate for completing a great year of preschool!


Blowing bubbles


With her teacher, Mrs. R--Cara loved her.


Cara with Mrs. J--I think they liked each other?!

Riding on a Bus

Cara recently started riding the bus to preschool. We decided that since it was offered, we'd take them up on it. It saves me from playing taxi all day long. Right now, she only rides to school but soon, she may ride both ways. We just wanted to ease her into change but she's been handling it like a pro. My only reservation to having her bused both ways is that I won't have any time to connect with her teachers and therapists. I'm kind of torn becauseit sure is nice to save the time and money of having to drive her (especially come winter when the roads get bad) and she loves riding the bus.

Here are some pictures from Cara's first day riding the bus:






Obviously, she had no problem adjusting to riding the bus, in fact, she was so excited! She tried to hop up the steps on her own (they must look like mountains to a 3 year old) and climbed right up into the seat. Now, Mommy & Daddy felt a little bit differently--just another way in which our littlest is growing up!

Now, when the bus pulls up, she runs toward it and says, "BAAA!". She tries to wave at us as the bus departs but you can barely see her little fingers.

Parent Day @ Preschool

Cara's preschool hosted a Parent Day a little while ago. It's a chance for parents to come into the classroom during class hours and see their child's daily routine.

It was great fun to watch Cara participate in class and I was just amazed and how much progress she's made and the things that she's learned. She isn't totally up to par with her classmates, but it's still so amazing to think about how far she's come.

Here is a glimpse at a typical day in Cara's class:

This is the routine chart, so that the students know what they are doing next.


Here, Cara is waiting for her teacher to ask who's hand print she's holding. Each child has a hand print with their name on it that they put on the felt board as they come in each morning. I'm am proud to report that Cara can pick out and recognize her own name!


Next, her class sang some songs for us. Cara really got into several of them and it was fun to watch all the kids singing and copying their teacher. Cara's special education teacher helped her participate in a couple of the songs as well.




Every week, they write a new story, one line at a time. Her teacher picks a different student to contribute to each part of the story. It's funny to see what the kids say for the next line. I bet they've written some wacky, off-the-wall stories! They also work on vocabulary as new words are introduced into the story.


At the end of the day, we did a project to coincide with the theme of the month, which is "Our bodies, ourselves". The parents traced their kiddos and then helped them color their bodies to match themselves. We made a flat Cara! It is now hanging in her room. We had fun coloring though Cara was much more interested in what everyone else was doing! I got to flex my (very small) creative muscles.

All it takes is ONE blink!

I woke up this morning and realized, my baby will be going to preschool! I will not have any children home for a few hours for the first time in years! What a change. I swear, it was just a blink ago that Cara was just a tiny 6lb, 6oz baby girl that we brought home from the hospital and now she's a confident preschooler!

We visited her classroom yesterday, met her teacher, Mrs. R, the classroom aide and the therapists that will be working with Cara. Cara made herself at home playing with the toys (purses & dolls were a big hit) while I discussed Cara's IEP with her teachers & other caregivers. I got a really good vibe from her teacher and the therapists and have a good feeling that Cara's needs will be met.

Cara has been so excited to go to school for weeks now, ever since Caitlin started a few weeks ago. Last night, when we were packing her bag with diapers, wipes and a sippy cup, she wanted to carry it around the house like a big girl and would jump up and down when we asked her if she was excited to start school.

This morning, we got to her school early, so Cara played and socialized a bit with the other children on the playground while we waited for her teacher to come out and welcome the class in. There are 16 children in her class with 1 teacher, 2 aides and therapists who visit on a rotating schedule. 7 of the children have special needs, like Cara, while the others are part of the Colorado Preschool Program, so a good mix.

Her teacher welcomed us all into the classroom where the first tasks where to sign in, find their name on a yellow hand print, put it on the felt board, hang up their backpacks, wash their hands and then find a book to look at. We helped Cara through this routine (which happens every day) and then went to say good-bye. She clung to Ben & I, like we knew that she would, but we were determined to make our exit as quickly and as calmly as we could. We hugged her, kissed her and said that we would see her soon and left the classroom. She cried but her seasoned teacher was already at work distracting and calming her.

Ben & I went out to the parking lot and cried. We just cannot believe that Cara is old enough for preschool or that we made it to this point. Those that know Cara's history understand how big this milestone is! We are so proud of our little girl for the progress that she's made and hope that she continues to surprise us!

At pick up, Cara was happy to see me and ran right for me as soon as I came into the room. One of the aides reported that she had a good day and only cried for a few minutes after we left. She was using some of her sign language (I think we are going to have to teach the staff) and enjoyed the activities. She received a smiley face stamp on her hand for doing very well on her first day. As we were walking out of school, I asked Cara if she liked various things, if she did various activities and every question got a very enthusiastic response. Judging by that and the big smile on her face, I'm concluding that she had a great 1st day! She even wants to go back tomorrow. We came home, had a quick lunch and now Cara is down for a nap, probably very tired from her busy day!

I am so glad that she's in preschool, for I know how great it will be for Cara, in so many ways. Just why must children grow up so quickly?! Don't blink or it will happen to you too.

Enjoy some pictures of Cara's first day or preschool---

Cara Lou is a Preschool Girl

From toddler to preschooler in one fast motion. Cara had her 1st IEP facilitation meeting on Wednesday with Child Find through our local school district. We met previously to do the evaluation to asses Cara's needs.

At the facilitation, I learned that Cara qualifies for 4 1/2 day (about 3 hours/day) sessions of preschool at the child development center in our district. She will be in a classroom with 15 other students, half of whom are "typical" and the other half who are receiving some sort of special education. Cara will be receiving physical/occupational, speech and cognitive special education therapies, to the tune of about 3-4 hours a week. The therapists work with students in the classroom setting so that no child feels excluded or "different". In addition, vision therapist and assisted technology will consult with her teachers and therapist to make their recommendations regarding visual safety concerns and the possible need of a low-technology assistance device to help Cara communicate with her teachers & peers.

The program sounds like a perfect mix for Cara--both student & teacher led activities and a structured daily routine. The ratio is never more than 16:2 and is usually 16:3 or 16:4 due to various therapists, volunteers & parents being in the classroom.

I will be doing the actual registration in a couple of weeks, and I'm sure a few tears will be shed as I fully face the reality that my baby is growing up. I just know that she'll love preschool as she is a social child and loves doing activities. In fact, she often wants to stay with Caitlin at drop-off and join her big sister's Kindergarten class. It will be hard for me to trust others in caring for Cara as she has been darn-nearly glued to my side for almost 3 years. Adjustments, and a lot of them, are coming our way soon. I have a feeling that Cara will adapt very well and I will be the one having issues!

IEP Evaluation 4/10

Cara had her first, of what will be occurring annually (at minimum), IEP evaluation at our school district's Child Find office on Thursday. We met with her Developmental Pathways service coordinator, a school psychologist, physical therapist (PT) and speech & language pathologist (SLP) to evaluate where Cara was in all areas of her development and come up with a plan for services that she will need this fall, when she starts preschool. All of the therapists worked with Cara on various tasks and she did very well, and, at times, shocked me with what she was able to do! For the first time, she was able to make a very tall tower, for example. The therapists also asked me questions about skills, tasks and overall development. We are to meet again, in May, to go over their recommendations, formulate a plan and decide on services as well as preschool options available to us. Cara also has to undergo a hearing screening as part of the evaluation process. I have no doubt that she'll pass with flying colors.

I am very anxious to hear what the therapists recommend and how these recommendations would be carried out in a school setting as I have become so accustomed to the clinic or home settings over the past year.

Cara's Annual IFSP Review

Today, Cara had her annual IFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan). This is the plan that outlines goals, strengths and weaknesses of each child and family receiving services through the state. Cara receives her physical and speech therapy through Developmental Pathways which is an agency that is contracted by the state to carry-out it's Early Intervention services.

At this review, we set some new goals for Cara in areas of fine and gross motor skills--things that we would like to see Cara doing by the time she turns 3. We listed skills such as independently and consistently feeding herself using a fork or spoon; learning to hold a pencil or crayon correctly; learning to gallop and to ride a tricycle; and for her to have a better sense of self perception and awareness. In addition to identifying these goals, I worked with Cara's service coordinator and physical therapist to think of ways to help Cara meet these goals. We have a lot of hard work on our hands but as long as Cara continues to progress as she has in the past year, we should be able to add these skills to her list! We will be doing the speech and communication part of the review with Cara's speech therapist on Monday.

The other part of the review was the transition plan. When Cara turns 3 in July, she will transition out of Part C of Early Intervention services and into Part B. Services will go from being provided in the home to being provided in a school setting. That being said, we have to start transitioning Cara into preschool and/or Head Start, if she qualifies. We are to schedule a comprehensive evaluation with the school district's early intervention program to see if she'll qualify for their FREE preschool program. Basically, Cara will be thoroughly evaluated by a speech/language pathologist, physical and occupational therapist as well as an development/behavioral specialist. Based upon their findings, we will know whether Cara qualifies. There doesn't seem to be any doubt that she will qualify given that she is behind on several benchmarks for her age. If we qualify, Cara will be eligible to go to preschool 2 days a week for a few hours a day. Therapy will, most likely, also be included in her school time. Whatever therapy she is determined to need, the therapists will provide at the preschool.

In addition, if this evaluation deems that Cara will indeed need supportive therapies in the school setting, an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) will be written for her and a meeting held to develop this plan and inform our family as to how it will be carried out.

I am also to call Creative Options, another service provider, to see about their qualifications for the Head Start program. If Cara meets their qualifications, she may also be able to attend Head Start a few days a week and further benefit from that instruction and socialization.

It seems that time in flying. In 6 months, Cara will be 3 and we'll be sending her to preschool! Where has the time gone? When I look back over the past year and all that Cara has accomplished, I am simply amazed! She has overcome so much and just blossomed. I cannot wait to see what these next 6 months bring!