Dave and I are pretty worried about his Mom. She had a brain bleed and is hospitalized at UK in Lexington. I always think of her as super strong and healthy so I was pretty shocked by this news today. Dave feels better now that he talked to her on the phone. I kept getting this feeling all day yesterday that I should call her. I have not talked to her in a while and I don't really know why... one of those things I want to do but never seem to get to... I started my class last night (Conflict Resolution in Early Childhood) and I kept thinking when I was in there that I should call her. It would not have done any good, since she was already sick and at the hospital last night. I think she is going to be okay. I was tutoring today when I saw that my sister-in-law had called, and the first thing I thought was that something had happened with Dave's father, who has been very sick for a very long time. I am very worried about Jane because I know she is just at the hospital worrying about her hubby when she should be able to just relax and focus on getting better. I hate the distance between us and Dave's family. We both want to be able to help out. If I were in Kentucky right now, I would be at the hospital with her and Meredith, or maybe at the house helping out some with Dave's dad, who is being taken care of by Dave's Granny. Or at the very least I could go do the laundry or pick up some groceries, or help out with housework or something. We both feel really helpless when loved ones are hurting and in need and we are too far away to do anything. I thought maybe Dave could just go up there, because I know hosting all four of us would be way too stressful for her right now. But she told him that she wants a visit when she can enjoy it. I guess I can understand that! So we hope to make a trip up there sometime, hopefully by May. Dave and I have had very heavy hearts lately because all three of our dads are seriously ill or ailing in some way. And now it seems that one of our moms is not doing so well either. I worry about my Mom also. When you spend all of your waking hours caring for someone else, your physical (and mental) health is really affected badly. I don't mean being a stay at home mom or anything like that. That is almost always rewarding, but taking care of someone who is very sick and is not going to get better has to be the most difficult thing to do.
Jonathan had his big evaluation at the school board this morning. He was originally screened back in October to see if he needed speech therapy (which would be free through the school board and they come to his preschool and everything!). We have waited months (3) for the followup testing to be done, and I have had mixed emotions about even following up on it, because I felt that the first evaluation was so out there. Even putting my skewed Mommy vision of Jonathan aside, I felt that the results of the October testing were just not accurate. You could convince me he needs speech therapy, and possibly occupational also (he's been in and out of physical therapy since the age of 2) but I absolutely do not believe that he has social problems or processing or language issues or anything else they noted. Three very nice and professional ladies evaluated him this morning: a psychologist, a speech pathologist and an occupational therapist. Jonathan was very compliant and cooperative during the entire 2 plus hours we were in there. I tell you what, some of that stuff, I could not have done! I was VERY proud of him. He looked them right in the face and answered all their questions. He never got frustrated or tearful. Even when they gave him something really hard, he kept working at it and trying different solutions. It was so cute to listen to him: Hmmmm, let me see. Maybe THIS will work. Yes, I think I've got it. I think he thought we were all a little nuts. He would look at them like, you are seriously asking me to button and unbutton these three buttons on this scrap of cloth that is not attached to any clothing? You want me to take this ball, and throw it as hard as I can against this wall? You want me to pick up all these little beads, one at a time and put them in this jar? Okay, I think you are crazy, but I will just go along with it. They kept commenting on how great his attention span was and how well he focused for so long! They said, we wish all of our little ones were like him! I was just sitting there, like, uh-huh, yep, I know my child is awesome, and I think it is borderline insane that we are even testing him for all this stuff! But in a way, I think it is pretty wonderful that we have access to stuff like this. Three experts sat with us for that long and gave him several tests, and it did not cost us anything. The irony of it is this: I don't even think he is going to wind up being elgible for speech! He sat there and ennunciated his heart out! He said everything they asked him with such precision! I was like, WHAT!! It was almost comical. I think they probably thought, what's wrong with this Mom? Why did she ask for this speech evaluation to begin with? To give myself some credit, I did tell them repeatedly that I thought he had improved greatly since the beginning of the school year. He only failed at one sound: L, which is at the five year old level. Also th, which is an older kid's sound. So he has improved considerably since October, and they also seemed to think that he had NO processing or language problems. The only thing he really failed at was the skipping. But, never fear! He can gallop, which is the prerequisite to skipping! Aren't you relieved? whoo! Big weight off my shoulders! Half the physical stuff they had him do was all stuff he works on in physical therapy and he is at a distinct disadvantage because of his leg/hip issues. Like most kids his age can balance on one foot for 7 seconds? He could barely do it for two or three, but I was super proud of him because he used to not be able to do it at all. They also told me not to worry until the end of second grade that he reverses his letters when he writes. So I left with the feeling that my child is average in most areas, average enough to pass their tests, and exceptional in a lot of ways also. Jonathan is very special and unique. He is a very sensitive, bright, and funny kid and I can't believe I let some stranger's opinion of him one morning in October get me so worked up and upset and fearful. I know my own kid, and I know he does not have processing problems or social issues. I think he is basically normal, if not a little quirky (as my brother Jason put it). No, forget it, he's better than normal. He's Jonathan, the one and only! I really feel that he got the best of what his Dad and I had to offer. He has Dave's intelligence and spatial ability, and his nature in a lot of ways, his curiosity and spirit, and then he also has my sensitivity and my verbal ability, and he is very caring and tender-hearted in a lot of ways. Okay, tomorrow, maybe I will carry on about how fabulous my little Anna is!